🧠 This is a speculative editorial cover for Nature Outlook, based on the article “How pain is misunderstood and ignored in women.” It explores how sex hormones play a significant role in pain perception and modulation — but their effects are often overlooked in studies. In real life, this means women often don’t get enough help or information about the pain they’re experiencing.
🖌️ It was created working with an award winning illustrator and mentor Ollie Hirst through the 2025 mentorship scheme from The Association of Illustrators.
🎨 Talking about the illustration process — I merged the woman into the background to reflect invisibility, and used red as a symbolic accent in the flowers. I didn’t want to depict pain in a scary or brutal way — instead, I looked for a way to connect it to growth and inner strength, as I’ve tried to do in my personal life.
✨ Big thanks to Ollie for the thoughtful art direction and The AOI for the opportunity to explore science through illustration.
🎨 Talking about the illustration process — I merged the woman into the background to reflect invisibility, and used red as a symbolic accent in the flowers. I didn’t want to depict pain in a scary or brutal way — instead, I looked for a way to connect it to growth and inner strength, as I’ve tried to do in my personal life.
✨ Big thanks to Ollie for the thoughtful art direction and The AOI for the opportunity to explore science through illustration.
