“A very thought-provoking and personal project,” is how tutor Hayley Baker described Kacey’s outstanding work, which has earned him two Distinctions in Level 2 Art and Design this year.
For his final module, Kacey created a powerful self-portrait exploring his experience of living with leukaemia, pushing himself creatively while telling a deeply personal story through his work.
Kacey explained: “For this module, it was all about self-portraits and talking about yourself and who you are, and for that I wanted to reflect on my experience with leukaemia and how it has affected my life. Before this module, I have never done a self-portrait and really wanted to push myself to create something that I was really proud of. I was diagnosed on May 24th, 2024. Being told I have cancer was a surreal experience. My type is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, the most common type in childhood. Luckily, I have responded very well to treatment, although at times it has made me incredibly ill. My treatment finishes on the 25th June 2026."
Kacey’s final piece combines technical skill with symbolic detail including a ring of leukaemia cells which show up purple under the microscope. He is surrounded by layered medical leaflets, coloured red for blood cancer, taken from his own treatment to represent the overwhelming information he received and the world he is living in until the end of his treatment.
He added: “I wanted to use all that to create a piece that captures the thoughts and the feelings that I felt and have been feeling. I layered the leaflets to represent the confusion of trying to process so much information. I am really happy with how the piece turned out, I’m especially proud of how realistic it looks and the detail I was able to achieve.”
Tutor Hayley Baker praised his achievements, saying: “You have achieved Distinctions across the project. This is a very thought-provoking and personal project, Kacey. We all appreciate the openness and honesty you have shown when reflecting on your experiences, and we hope you have found value in working through this theme. Your work presents a sensitive and meaningful response to the brief.
“Your drawing and painting skills are strong and well established, and this is evident throughout your sketchbook and final outcome. You also demonstrate a very good understanding of the design cycle, carefully developing your ideas through research, experimentation and design before resolving them in your final piece.
“You have managed much of this project independently due to your illness, which makes the standard of work you have produced even more impressive. Your commitment to your studies and the determination you have shown throughout the project are truly admirable, and your talent has been an inspiration to those around you.
“You should be very proud of what you have achieved. Continue working with the same honesty, creativity and commitment in future projects.”
