Zenia Dacio-Mesina
Cancer Ribbon Flowers
Paint on cloth tote bag

Cancer Ribbon Flowers
Paint on cloth tote bag
This was painted during a cancer support group craft class via Zoom. I wanted to depict the cancer ribbon with different colored flowers to represent the different types of cancers that use different colors of ribbons.
I wanted to paint them to create a whole design - the typical cancer ribbon - to show that despite our differences in diagnosis, we all share commonalities as being cancer warriors. And our strength is in our unity. There is also a phrase I read early on in my diagnosis - grow through what you go through. And this made me think of flowers.
52 Views of Cancer is a deck of playing cards illustrated by people who know cancer firsthand. Each of the 52 cards carries original artwork by a different cancer patient, survivor, or immediate family member, each with their own view of the disease.
The artwork comes first. We're bringing the deck to major scientific and medical conferences and putting these artists' work directly into the hands of the researchers and clinicians working on the cancers they've faced.