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Original Publication Date
2026
Document Type
Video
Abstract
The transition from the "kingdom of the well" to the "kingdom of the sick" presents a profound site of identity disruption. For adult patients undergoing chronic treatments such as hemodialysis (HD), the experience often results in a loss of control, isolation, and a sense of "invisibility." While existing research highlights the short-term mood-regulating benefits of art, there is a significant gap in understanding how sustained, patient-driven art-making supports the long-term process of identity reconfiguration.
Moving beyond the linear concept of "identity development," this research defines reconfiguration as an active, rhizomatic process of disrupting assigned "patient" roles to discover new possibilities. This study introduces Contextualized Visual Arts-Based Research (ABR), a personalized approach that mirrors classroom pedagogical scaffolding to address the patient's holistic context within the clinical system.
The study aims to reveal how the visual arts function as a tool for facing uncertainty and instilling hope during prolonged health journeys. By centering the patient’s lived experience, the researcher hopes to inform national standards for visual artist training in healthcare settings. Ultimately, this work seeks to understand how the design of visual arts engagement can support the sustained process of "becoming" both during and after medical treatment.
Keywords
Art Education, Arts-Based Research (ABR), Identity reconfiguration
Rights
Copyright © 2026 Jennifer Bockerman. All rights reserved.
Comments
Presented in the Integrating Emotional Wellbeing into Artistic and Educational Practice session.