DESIGNING FOR DIABETICS

Insulin pumps, injection materials, prospectuses, medical products all turned into artwork. Asst. Prof. Dr. Dilek Himam Er, Lecturer at IUE Department of Fashion and Textile Design, who transformed medical products regularly used by diabetes patients into artwork as part of the World Diabetes Day, is calling attention to diabetes with art.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Er, who used insulin user guides on clothes and textile surfaces, said, “Diabetes patients need to use insulin pumps and medication every day at regular intervals. They need to monitor their insulin levels. This may be a long and difficult process at times. I used insulin pumps, injection materials, and prospectuses to create variety of products. The materials I used in my artwork such as old pictures, waste materials, used medicine boxes, needle disposals, insulin pump reservoirs, gauzes, torn clothing pieces, etc. help us understand the recollection of an individual fighting this disease”.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Er reminded that living with diabetes, as a lifelong illness, required close monitoring and attention. She stated the following:

“Diabetes is a lifelong, chronic illness due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the cells of the body not responding properly to the insulin produced. When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it's broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. If this elevated blood sugar continues, it causes severe malfunctions of eyes, heart, kidneys, etc. in time. I wanted to share the long journey of diabetes patients and what they have to use every day.”  

Asst. Prof. Dr. Er stated that she dedicated her artwork to people struggling with diabetes, and she said she was going to hold an exhibition soon.