Dark Side Of Diabetes
This piece was created from a place of observation, respect and a growing awareness of what it means to live with something that never truly leaves you, my mom has diabetes.
Diabetes is often reduced to numbers. Blood sugar levels, insulin doses, readings on a screen. From the outside it can appear structured, manageable and even routine. But this drawing explores what exists beneath that surface, the constant presence, the mental weight and the quiet persistence of something that demands attention every single day.
The central hand in this piece represents control or at least the attempt to maintain it. It holds the device tightly, a symbol of monitoring, calculation, and decision making. Every reading carries consequence. Every number influences what comes next. It is not passive, it requires constant awareness, constant adjustment and an ongoing negotiation between body and action. Yet behind that sense of control, there is something else.
The skeletal figure represents the underlying reality, the part that cannot be fully controlled. It stands as a reminder that no matter how carefully things are managed, there is always an element of unpredictability. Blood sugar can rise or fall without warning. The body does not always respond the way it should and in those moments control can feel fragile.
The wires connecting the figure to the hand symbolise that inescapable link. There is no separation between the condition and the person living with it. Every action, every choice, every moment is influenced by it in some way. It is not something that can be switched off or set aside, it is always present even in stillness.
The chaos surrounding the figure reflects the unseen side of diabetes. The fluctuations, the imbalance, the internal shifts that others do not witness. It represents the mental and physical strain of trying to maintain stability in something that is by nature unstable. What makes this experience particularly complex is how invisible it can be. Many people live with diabetes in a way that appears outwardly controlled. But that control comes at a cost, It is built on constant monitoring, constant awareness and the pressure of knowing that small miscalculations can have significant consequences. It is the accumulation of decisions that others never have to think about and is repeated day after day without pause. This piece is not about defining diabetes as limitation but about acknowledging its presence.
At its core this artwork speaks to coexistence and the reality of living with something that cannot be removed only managed. The quiet strength it takes to carry that responsibility without letting it take everything from you. If this piece resonates it is a reminder that what may look simple from the outside often holds a far deeper complexity within.
