Artista brasileño Gray Portela descubrió los efectos terapéuticos de la pintura cuando era niño. De adulto, volvió a pintar como una forma de procesar y hacer frente a la presión de ejercer la oncología en Brasil, un país donde la gran disparidad socioeconómica impide que muchos pacientes obtengan la atención médica que necesitan y limita los recursos de los médicos que intentan ayudarlos. .

Working in oil, Portela’s paintings feature mostly blue figures centered on the background of an otherwise empty white canvas; he describes them as poems about his patients. Capturing moments that are both personal and universal, the unique qualities of each figure personify the patient’s individual experience, while their formal elements unify them, symbolizing the commonalities of human endurance—in Portela’s words, “life and death, pain and hope, victory, and defeat.” By giving form to his feelings, Portela centers himself as an artist and doctor, sharing with his viewers the challenge of fighting against a devastating disease and an inadequate healthcare system, and the emotional demands of providing care, hope, and understanding to his patients and their families.