Sunshine & Amethyst



The Starzl is a comic series chronicling the daily lives of diverse characters afflicted with various long-term medical conditions.

My recent practice creates an innovative platform to take readers on a light-hearted journey of stories shedding light on chronic illnesses like Liver Disease, not often discussed within the wider public.

Considering the relationship between Arts and Health, the work seeks to ignite further discussion; raise awareness of organ donation; plus, reduce evasive and negative attitudes towards discourse on sensitive issues such as health and the body.

Distributing the comics in hospital wards provides benefits of Art Therapy by alleviating fears and improving patient experiences; simultaneously, despite the medical context, more general themes - life’s battles, satirical social commentary, and so on - are explored, becoming the intersection between Fine Art and Design for a wider audience in the gallery.

Drawing from a combination of personal memory and shared stories, an essential aspect for me was to aim for a tone that was uncomplicated and clear; remaining subtle, yet honest and unrelenting in the detailed thoughts and feelings of every experience along the way – as achieved by the effective storytelling in esteemed comics of similar genres, when recounting this sort of journey through sequential art.
People from all walks of life enjoy the interesting glimpse into situations explored in the series, whilst nervous patients or worried parents/carers find it relatable, amusing, and comforting.