I am a
MEDICAL ILLUSTRATOR
Kuukua Wilson
Presented by The Amgen Foundation
MY PATHHow I became an artist, explorer, and medical illustrator.
Vibrant Childhood
FREE TO EXPLORE
01 / Growing up in Ghana, I was an active, curious child. My parents gave me a lot of room to explore the world through play and education. If they saw me drawing, for example, they’d give me more paper and colored pencils to encourage me. I felt very free to chase both my curiosity and my creativity.
02/ I was raised in a very close family. I have an older sister and an older brother. My parents had a big impact on the way I saw myself and what I was capable of. They taught my siblings and me to pursue big dreams; and that anything is possible if you work for it. Those lessons stayed with me and shaped how I move through the world.
Moving to the US
ADJUSTING TO A NEW CULTURE
01 / At the age of 10, I moved from Ghana to Kennesaw, GA in the US. It was challenging to start at a new school, in a new country, and try to make friends in a culture that I had only ever experienced through cartoons on TV. I often felt like an outsider and was at times teased for being African or having an accent. My family stuck together to support each other through the transition.
02 / My life revolved mostly around family and school. I was pretty quiet and had a lot of interests. I got involved with various activities, from cheerleading to Spanish Club to powderpuff football.
03 / In high school, I started learning more about psychology and biology and discovered a deep interest in how humans work. I started studying more biology which led me to get curious about anatomy and physiology. I was finding myself drawn to both the arts and the sciences.
Discovering Medical Illustration
BLENDING MY INTERESTS TOGETHER
01 / One of the major decisions I made was to pursue a degree in Visual Arts at Kennesaw State University, near my family. That was the first time I found myself surrounded by a community of creatives. The art program was fantastic and offered intensive instruction on fundamental techniques and mentorship. It was also affordable and provided me with a quality education, both of which were really important to me.
02 / When my brother got cancer, I created an art series for school focused on his medical scans to better understand his disease. I didn’t know what to call it at the time, but I knew I enjoyed the process of bringing art and science together. I began researching career possibilities and discovered the world of Medical & Scientific Illustration, which requires artists to carefully study the human body and medical fields so that they can accurately capture them.
03 / After graduation, I began working with the Atlanta Zoo, which provided a great starting point to gain the professional experience I needed to apply for a Master's program. I discovered a Medical Illustration program at John's Hopkins, and while it was too expensive for me, it inspired me to find a financially accessible program in the same field.
Building an Interdisciplinary Career
MAKING MY OWN WAY
01 / The year before I applied to my Master's program, my father fell terminally ill. As I cared for him, I struggled to find information and guidance about his ailment. Realizing that health information was not always easily accessible, I decided to use my skills as an illustrator to help communicate health and medical information.
02 / I found an exciting program in the Netherlands focused on Medical Illustration that felt like the right fit, so I was devastated to find out I was waitlisted. Luckily, a spot opened up for me, and I moved across the world to specialize in techniques for visually communicating human anatomy and health. I didn’t know anyone or speak the language, but I felt determined to thrive academically and prove to myself that this was the right course for me.
03 / After earning my Masters, I completed internships and started to build a career working with different companies to create medical illustrations. I knew it was important for me to bring my commitment to inclusivity into my work and prioritized representing a wide range of identities in my medical illustrations so that everyone could feel more connected to their healthcare. I was recruited by Amgen, where I support their teams as needed by applying my artistry and skills to communicate the company’s work.
MAJOR INFLUENCES
I’ve always felt like I’m living two creative lives.
In one part of my life, I apply my research and artistic skills to communicate medical ideas. In the other, I create art for myself as a practice of expression and personal reflection. While they’re separate pursuits, they often feed each other, and pursuing both keeps me inspired and growing.
Major Milestones
Moving to the USA
I moved to the USA when I was ten years old. This move was a huge change in my life as the cultures and lifestyles were so different.
Discovering Medical Illustration
I did a medical illustration project and got a job working at the Atlanta Zoo. Discovering that I could combine my love of illustration with science was a turning point for me.
Attending Graduate School
I moved to the Netherlands to pursue my Masters degree in medical illustration. I learned the importance of making medical communications more inclusive of different communities and that became a priority for me.
Launching my Career
I began working for medical and biotechnology companies where I now create images that capture different devices, illnesses, and discoveries for medical resources.
Things I learned
along the way:
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