This year’s feature saw an influx of visually arresting and thought-provoking submissions from a whole range of practitioners working in and around the field of ophthalmology all over the world.
Here we present a selection of the most dynamic and eye-catching images we received. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Mickey under the Microscope!
Md Iftekher Iqbal is a prominent glaucoma specialist from Bangladesh, known for his work in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). His contributions to advanced and innovative approaches to complex glaucoma care have earned him international distinction, including the APAO Young Ophthalmologist Rising Star recognition. Beyond his medical expertise, Iqbal is also an accomplished photographer, capturing striking moments in clinical practice and everyday life, and seamlessly merging medical precision with artistic expression.
Of his image, Iqbal says, “Captured after a combined phaco-trab, this Mickey-shaped bubble trio brought childhood nostalgia straight into a modern surgical setting.”
Through New Eyes
Krishnika Vetrivel is a medical student at King’s College London, with a keen interest in global health and the intersection of art and medicine.
“‘Through New Eyes’ captures the cataract eye camps run by Aravind Eye Hospital, which I observed in South India, where hundreds of free eye surgeries are provided to people from rural villages,” Vetriel says. “At the center of the scene, a group of elderly villagers, identifiable by their post-operative eye bandages, board a free hospital bus with the support of volunteers. The tunnel-like, circular composition mimics the view through the eye, shadowed at the edges like cataract-clouded sight. This not only reflects the transition from darkness to light, but also symbolises restored sight and hope.”
Hope
Robert Rehak is a Practice Educator for Ophthalmic Vision and Science in Gloucester, UK. He is originally from Slovakia, from Trebisov, a town close to the Hungarian and Ukrainian borders.
Rehak says: “This image was captured during an anterior segment fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography (FFA/ICG) for a patient with corneal neovascularization. Despite the severity of the condition, I feel this image of the pathology looking like a tree represents hope that things will get better. It also represents the idea that we should try to see through negatives and take out the positives. I would like to dedicate this image to my parents who passed away years ago, as a reminder of the origins of my inspiration and my dedication to the work I love.”
Floaters
Jacqueline Jeon-Chapman is a medical student at Frank H. Netter School of Medicine in Connecticut, USA. During clinical rotations, she observed a vitrectomy performed for a patient with floaters. This experience resonated with Jeon-Chapman, as her mother also developed floaters due to vitritis. Much like fish, floaters dance in and out of perception. This metaphor was inspired by how her mother described the floaters, as well as her pacific island heritage. The piece was created with watercolor pencils and markers on paper, and then photographed in an acrylic frame with sequined fabric and colored lights to capture an aquatic feel.
Through Your Eyes I See the World
Menna Shaker is an Intern Physician at Kasr Al-Ainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt, and the Founder of Medical Students Hub, a platform empowering future healthcare professionals. A passionate advocate for sustainability and youth leadership, she serves as a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Youth4Sustainability Ambassador and a certified sustainable development goals trainer. “Ophthalmology is more than eye care – it is about restoring vision, yes, but also about preserving human connection, identity, and the way we interpret life,” Shaker says. “This painting explores the idea that when an ophthalmologist peers into a patient’s eye, they are not just diagnosing – they are sharing in a deeply human exchange.”
Reservoir
Jackson Bloch is a third-year medical student at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, MN. He has pursued an interest in ophthalmology during school, inspired by the central role vision plays in patients' quality of life and independence as they age. He has found that ophthalmology dovetails with the visual focus and fine motor craftsmanship of his background in ornithologic illustration.
Bloch observes: “This piece abstracts a retina infected with neuro-invasive West Nile virus. Crows, a common reservoir for the virus, perch among the branching vasculature of the retina, depicted here as a tree and its reflection. Behind the vessels, lesions track linearly along the nerves that radiate from the optic disc, similar to the way the disease presents on fundoscopic imaging. Finally, a medical student rows through the scene, at once mesmerized by the complexity and beauty of the anatomy, and struck by the surrealness of the disease.”
Anterior Chamber Intruder
Anushka Shaukat completed her ophthalmology residency at PAF (Pakistan Air Force) Hospital, Islamabad (2019–2023). Following her board certification, she joined Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, one of the country’s leading tertiary eye care centers, renowned for its clinical excellence, ophthalmic research, and extensive outreach programs across Pakistan.
She explains that her image, “Anterior Chamber Intruder,” depicts a “silicone oil migration in the anterior chamber of a young male patient’s eye.”
Iris Of A Surgeon (Self Portrait)
Kayur Shah is an ophthalmologist based in Los Angeles and the creator of the EyeDropAlarm app. He is passionate about teaching and mentoring ophthalmology residents. His love for art began during his studies at Oxford, where he took an art history course. His oil paintings are often inspired by the beautiful landscapes he encounters during family vacations. Shah donates the proceeds from print sales of his artwork to the Foundation Fighting Blindness charity.
Shah says: “‘Iris Of A Surgeon (Self Portrait)’ was inspired by the awe I felt the first time I used a slit lamp to examine the iris. I was struck by the stunning beauty and complexity of the iris, especially each iris’ unique patterns, colors, and textures. The painting is based on a slit lamp photograph of my own eye… [reflecting] the unique perspective a surgeon gains through his work.”
A Look at Keratoconus
Sharon Whinston is a pre-medical and medical illustration student. She earned her associate’s degree in digital art and design from Queensborough Community College, New York, before transferring to the Kendall College of Art and Design, Michigan, where she studied medical illustration. Sharon has been fascinated by the complexity of eyes and eye conditions from a young age.
“When I was 11, I learned that my brother had keratoconus,” explains Whinston. “This confused me as a child and made me worry about getting it myself. Now, I aim to visualize and understand what scared me back then.”
The Intravitreal Injection
Rhian Pearson is an Ophthalmic and Vision Science Practitioner, originally from South Wales and currently working in Gloucestershire, UK. With a strong foundation in photography, Pearson holds a BA (Hons) in Photography from the University of South Wales and went on to achieve a distinction in the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Photography at Cardiff University. She began her journey as a trainee clinical photographer, and has since combined her artistic skills with a passion for healthcare. Outside of work, she enjoys drawing, painting, and capturing moments through her camera lens.
“[This is] a digital pastiche of The Operation of the Cataract by Alexandre Jean Drahonet, reimagined to depict an intravitreal injection,” says Pearson. “It retains the original’s muted tones while highlighting the vital role of ophthalmology nurses in outpatient clinics, and reflecting modern diversity in healthcare through the inclusion of women and people of color.”
The Floater Sprites
Priyanka Patil is a young ophthalmologist who has worked with various charitable and NGO trusts, providing health care in rural India. She loves to learn and work with different mediums of art.
“This watercolour painting depicts soot sprites (Susuwatari) as floaters, while Satsuki and Mei (from 'My Neighbor Totoro') observe their own floaters,” explains Patil. “It is an attempt to portray how a patient experiences floaters.”
Retinal Horizons: A Sunset within the Eye
Hridya Abhilash is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ocular Oncology at Malabar Cancer Center, India. Her work explores the subtle intersections between ophthalmology and visual storytelling, transforming clinical imagery into meditations on beauty, impermanence, and the unseen narratives of the eye. Abhilash invites viewers to pause, reflect, and look beyond the surface.
“[This] image blends the intricate beauty of the human fundus with the serene hues of a sunset, symbolizing the delicate interplay between vision and nature,” she says. “The rich reds, oranges, and yellows mirror the vibrant glow of the evening sky, reminding us that the eye itself holds landscapes as breathtaking as the world it perceives. A fusion of science and art, this image serves as a creative tribute to the wonders of ocular anatomy and the beauty hidden within.”
In the Periphery
Margaret Tharp is a fourth-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Her artistic style typically involves a combination of drawing and collage. She enjoys repurposing used materials for her work, and is a proponent of environmental sustainability in ophthalmology and healthcare as a whole. This piece was completed while pursuing a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Global Environmental Sustainability and Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Tharp utilized discarded medical supplies taken from two cataract surgeries at an ambulatory surgical center in Indiana.
Tharp says: “‘The piece provides a visual representation of the growing issue of waste in healthcare. The often-overlooked environmental costs of the current US healthcare model are highlighted through repurposed materials otherwise destined for waste, now given a renewed purpose. In the Periphery invites medical professionals, administrators, and patients alike to shift one’s focus, bringing healthcare waste and its impacts into clearer view.”
The Window Within
Ninglu Weng is a final-year medical student from Canada with strong interests in both the visual arts and a career in ophthalmology.
“This palm-sized sketch reflects my quiet fascination with the anatomical and emotional detail of the eye, glimpsed each day through the slit lamp,” explains Weng. “That same sense of awe guides my drawing process, where each millimetre of detail contributes to the whole.”
