Rod of Asclepius

The Rod of Asclepius is an ubiquitous symbol of medicine, often erroneously portrayed as the Staff of Hermes. I find that most portrayals of Rod of Asclepius are devoid of life, often with a corporate appearance, seemingly limited in application to logos on medical products. I sought to re-imagine the Rod of Asclepius with more vivacity and illustrate harmony between life and death within medicine, with the not-so-subtle inclusion of spiders, pupae, butterflies, flowers, and leaves. I submitted this piece to the art show at my medical school where it won the Judge’s 1st place award and Viewer’s Choice 2nd place award.