Major
Neuroscience
Anticipated Graduation Year
2022
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
This piece is inspired by epigenetics and how an individual’s experiences regarding their health can have an intergenerational impact. Mankind is constantly evolving and has displayed that emotional health has a substantial influence on the body’s ability to heal and adapt. Integral components are the tree, representations of a heart, and pattern variations depicting DNA, and how the genetic code is susceptible to alternations. As the three characters representing multiple generations of a family age, they become more incorporated into the foundations of the tree depicting the progression of time suggesting the lasting impact of epigenetics on the human body.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Khandan Ka Darakht (Family Tree)
This piece is inspired by epigenetics and how an individual’s experiences regarding their health can have an intergenerational impact. Mankind is constantly evolving and has displayed that emotional health has a substantial influence on the body’s ability to heal and adapt. Integral components are the tree, representations of a heart, and pattern variations depicting DNA, and how the genetic code is susceptible to alternations. As the three characters representing multiple generations of a family age, they become more incorporated into the foundations of the tree depicting the progression of time suggesting the lasting impact of epigenetics on the human body.
Comments
( For some reason I wasn't able to upload multiple files, so I have pasted my full- text description below, and have uploaded the file of my final submission. Please let me know if I can be of any more assistance! Thank you!)
Khandan Ka Darakht (Family Tree)
Iraj Waheed
Pakistani- American
Class of 2022
Digital Media- Procreate
The piece “Khandan Ka Darakht” is inspired by the overarching theme of epigenetics and how an individual’s experiences regarding their health, sustenance, and interactions with their environment can have an intergenerational impact. Epigenetics seeks to understand the unlimited possibilities that lie behind the human mind and body. Mankind is constantly evolving and has displayed on numerous occasions that one’s mindset and emotional health can have a substantial influence on the body’s ability to heal and adapt. As stated by Dr. Bruce Lipton, “the moment you change your perception, is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.” An integral component of the work is the large tree snaking through the center of the image. The twists, entanglements, and variations in colors and patterns are intended to depict deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and how in the field of epigenetics, an individual’s genetic code is susceptible to a multitude of alternations in physical structure. Examples of such adaptations include DNA methylation and histone modification. Such variation in patterns also extends to the leaves and clothing depicted in the work. The base of the tree contains the representations of a heart, intended to emphasize the significance of mental, physical, and emotional health towards overall nourishment. Three generations varying in age are represented in the piece, depicting the progression of these persistent genetic modifications within a family’s lineage. As the characters gradually age moving from the pink dress to the brown (upper right, lower right, upper left) they become more and more incorporated into the foundations of the tree itself- depicting the progression of time as aging “into” the tree, suggesting the lasting impact of epigenetic sciences on the human body. Five predominant colors were utilized in the creation of this piece (pink, blue, mustard, green, and brown) with the intention to represent the five possible nucleotide base pairs in the biological world (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil). It is within humanity’s best interest to preserve our perceptions of the world seeing that positive avenues of thinking hold tremendous power in shaping an individual’s life and bloodline for years to come.
https://www.brucelipton.com/what-epigenetics/