Zoey Lestyk, a student at Westview High School, has won first place in the 2024 La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) Wonders of Immunology Art Competition. This annual competition, open to all fifth through twelfth-grade students in San Diego County, encourages young artists to share their perspective on immunology and medical research.
Lestyk’s acrylic painting, titled “Lost in the Shower of Autonomy,” shows a person taking a shower to seek relief from a painful medical condition. Lestyk uses orange tones to convey the idea of pain or inflammation in the figure’s chest area, which contrasts with the blue tones of the shower environment.
“I had to research the anatomy of the human body for this painting, and I learned about Tietze syndrome, which is an inflammation of the chest area,” says Lestyk. “I also learned more about other medical conditions that might lead to someone experiencing pain or sensation in their chest—such as musculoskeletal problems, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, heart-related issues, and anxiety or panic attacks. It was definitely a reminder that all our systems work together.”
As the competition winner, Lestyk will receive an engraved plaque and an Ultimate Dual Microscope, manufactured by National Geographic.
Capturing the personal and creative sides of science
Victoria Li, a student at Francis Parker School, won second place for a submission titled “Paper Mask.” The oil and acrylic painting shows a young woman wearing a protective face mask. The woman faces the viewer as the people surrounding her face away.
Li says her experience with a SARS-CoV-2 research project inspired her to use art to depict her thoughts about the pandemic.
“Painting a girl with a mask embodies the essence of my SARS-CoV-2 research, capturing the necessity for protective measures amidst the pandemic’s impact on daily life, while contrasting the difficulties of isolation with the reconnection that I felt during this period,” says Li.
Li says the piece reflects own efforts to understand her Asian-American heritage during the pandemic. “This was a time where I felt overwhelmed and alone, and it was also a period of time in which I began to truly discover and seek my heritage and culture,” says Li.
Grayson Alvarado, a student at Mira Mesa High School, won third place in the competition for a piece titled “Growth.” Alvarado used a tablet to create the digital art piece, which shows a person in profile surrounded by colorful cells, pathogens, and simplified DNA strands.
Alvarado says the artwork can be seen two ways—it shows how disease might grow in the brain and how research leads to scientific “growth.” He adds that the art competition motivated him to see the creative side of science.
“So much of science is art,” says Alvarado. “I find it beautiful to look at scans of cells and different organs throughout the human body.”
Sameeksha Vasi, a student at Del Norte High School, was named the competition runner up for a piece titled “24/7 Healthcare.”
Vasi used pens and paint to depict a nurse in a face mask surrounded by microbes and cells. Above the nurse, a silhouetted figure prepares a vaccine syringe. Vasi says the artwork conveys how medical professions face many types of pathogens and diseases.
LJI’s Wonders of Immunology Student Art Competition is part of the Institute’s inclusion, diversity, equity, and advocacy efforts. The 2024 volunteer judges included LJI Assistant Professor Miguel Reina-Campos, Ph.D., LJI Assistant Professor Samuel Myers, Ph.D., LJI Assistant Professor Tal Einav, Ph.D., LJI Chief Communications Officer and Chief of Staff Gina Kirchweger, Ph.D., LJI Director of Communications Jenna Hambrick, LJI Institute Relations Executive Assistant Sonja Arnold, LJI Advancement Officer Clare Grotting, MBA, CSPG, and art teacher Betsy Spring.
