Junheng Zhu

Junheng Zhu is an illustrator from Guangzhou, currently living in London. For the past twenty-four years, painting has been a constant in his life. He worked hard to learn drawing techniques and chose to further his studies at the Royal College of Art.

He was eager to express his thoughts and emotions through his drawings. So he started sharing his illustrations on social media and gradually built up his audiences. Instagram has allowed him to showcase his work and interact with other artists and creators to learn and improve from each other.

As an illustrator, Junheng’s artistic journey continues. He constantly explores new creative fields and techniques and challenges his artistic expression. Art is endless, and it can open people’s imagination and creativity to the beauty and possibilities of the world.

As a passionate visual artist and creative expressionist, I find illustration to be the best way to connect with the world and express my personality and convey my emotions. Early in my childhood, I was fascinated by picture books and comics, images that brought me endless imagination and inspiration. My in-depth study and exploration of illustration is how I realized that it is not just an art form, but a powerful medium that can change the viewer's emotions and opinions.

Most of my work stems from my personal experiences, especially those of grief. People's creative abilities are often at their highest during times of emotional low points. These painful experiences are opportunities for me to grow and find my self-identity, and it becomes a source and motivation for my creativity, pushing me to explore the complexity and depth of emotions. In my illustrations, the viewer can feel my understanding and empathy for human emotions, and my exploration of emotions is what makes my work a deeper and more powerful way to convey the true feelings of the heart.

To more fully understand the diversity of grief, I chose to interview people who have similar experiences to mine. During the interviews, I found that each person's seemingly similar experiences had a different understanding. Their stories and emotional experiences inspired me to pay attention to details and helped me establish a connection with the viewer.

"stages" is a comic about stories that occurred in a hospital. A dual-perspective narrative integrates information about end-of-life psychology into the account.The work is inspired by the author's life experiences, where near-death experiences sparked curiosity and urged the author to delve into information about the field. The format of comics allows the author to integrate self-perception into the characters' actions and dialogues, and the presentation of input and output of ideas unfold from there.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

I have noticed the same problem in both Chinese and London hospitals: a low level of concern for patients' emotions on the part of the healthcare staff. As long as the patient indicators are relatively healthy, the patient's emotional problems are negligible. This is acceptable for the average patient, but the emotional expression is significant for those critically ill and with only a few years or months to live.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

While hospitals should improve their medical facilities, healthcare professionals should also enhance their ability to detach patients emotionally. I understand that it is difficult to do this comprehensively because the workload of hospital staff is so huge every day that healthcare workers may need more time talking to patients. But we should not separate hospice care from saving lives.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

On Death and Dying is a book published in 1969 by American psychologist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, which focuses on the psychology of death and end-of-life care. Through interviews and observations of cases directly related to death, Kubler-Ross developed the Five Stages of Hospice Theory, her most famous contribution to the book.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

The five Stages of Hospice Theory state that when faced with their death, people usually go through five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These five stages are not linear; different people may go through them in different ways and orders. Kubler-Ross’s theory is widely recognized and applied and has become one of the foundations of modern hospice and grief therapy.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

The needs of society are a very important aspect. By surveying the needs and expectations of patients, families, healthcare professionals, volunteers, and government, we can understand society's perceptions and needs for end-of-life care. I focused on the needs of the patients and learned that the environment and emotional support for patients is two of the most important aspects of end-of-life care.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

The scenarios and characters shown in the comics give patients and families information about end-of-life care and help them cope better with the process.

Medium:

Illustration

Size:

210*297mm

Junheng Zhu

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Royal College of Art