The Scientific Vision of Women

Hillary Wilson is a medical illustrator based in Durham, North Carolina. She earned her M.A. in Medical Illustration from Johns Hopkins in 2018. Driven by the beauty and complexity of humanity and the human experience, she sees illustration as a way to describe the world around her and empower others. These defining characteristics are seen in her work on a range of medical topics, from common skin conditions to gender-confirming surgery. In addition to her work in medical illustration, Hillary is a freelance illustrator in other genres, such as science fiction and fantasy.

Artist’s statement

I keep curiosity at the forefront and focus on how empowering it can be to know how something works. It's much easier to make decisions about your health or have context for what is happening in your own body when you understand it. That has been a big factor in the patient education illustrations I have created throughout my career. I think that it is also difficult to hold on to prejudice when you approach people with curiosity and appreciation.

The way I use color and light in particular is enhanced by my work in other genres. I also try to humanize my portrayals of people as much as possible so that an illustration can either speak to the viewer on a fundamental human level or allow the viewer to feel connected to the human being who created the illustration. I think a big part of effective storytelling is speaking to the humanity of the subject and the viewer and connecting the two. Even in illustrations where a person isn't directly featured, I am still attempting to bring the viewer along so that they can see things through my eyes for a brief moment. Rendering skin tones is an example of this; I try to bring the viewer along with me so that they can see just how interesting and beautiful I find skin to be. I try to make things look how I see them and how I feel when I see them, rather than like a photograph.

Label by Lauren Reno