DEPARTURE AND RETURN:
Visualizing Ethical Tensions in Geriatric Care
Madison Zhao

“This illustration reflects the ethical complexity of geriatric care. A patient lies on a gurney, turned away from a luminous tree anchoring the far side of the image. The tree suggests not only peace but also a readiness to surrender. Its falling leaves show aging and change as a natural transformation, raising the question: Is aging itself bad for you, or is it the way we respond to it that causes harm? In contrast, the patient is moved away from the change by caregivers, prompting questions about the destination of care. Is sustaining the body the same as sustaining the person? The image in “Departure and Return” does not resolve these tensions, but invites reflection on why society often resists aging as fiercely as it resists death.”

Madison Zhao is an artist and medical illustrator whose work bridges the visual arts and the health sciences. She has illustrated multiple books with Routledge and Oxford University Press, including projects on neuroaesthetics and social-emotional learning, and has created murals and paintings for hospitals, clinics, and wellbeing centers through her organization Paint4Strength. Her work has been exhibited in venues such as the Bayou City Art Festival and featured in academic publications, and she has collaborated with physicians, researchers, and community organizations internationally to create art that supports healing, patient education, and cross-cultural dialogue. Find more of her work here.