October 16, 2025, by mszteh
Judging the Rapid Eczema Trials art competition
By Kate Henaghan-Sykes
I had the privilege of judging the Rapid Eczema Trials Art Competition. Entrants were asked to create a piece of artwork around the themes of “Me and my eczema” or “My relationship with eczema”. This could take any form, a drawing, painting, poetry, or mixed media.
Eczema affects millions of people worldwide, yet the true impact on individuals is often misunderstood, hidden away, or underestimated. What this competition revealed was a gallery full of honesty, vulnerability, and creativity, across three age categories: Under 12, 13–17, and Adults.
Under 12 – Expression and Honesty
The youngest entrants impressed me with their unfiltered imagination. Many captured eczema not just as something on the skin, but as something that lives with them on the inside too. Their artwork was direct, colourful, and poignant.
A recurring theme was the use of bold reds to illustrate flare-ups. Some described the constant itching or pain, while others shared poetry about overcoming big feelings. What struck me most was their bravery in sharing something so personal at such a young age. Their work reminded me that eczema is more than physical, it touches emotions, confidence, and every part of daily life.
Ages 13-17 – Identity, Struggle, and Strength
Teenage years can already feel overwhelming, and eczema brings an additional layer of challenge. The submissions in this group reflected that mixture of vulnerability and resilience.
One powerful piece used a tiger to represent the artist’s cultural identity, with stripes placed where eczema commonly appears on the body. The watchful eyes in the image captured a shared fear: “How do others perceive me?” At the same time, the tiger symbolised strength and endurance.
Another memorable entry showed eczema as a firestorm within the skin, with a thermometer reading 100 degrees. The imagery of burning cracked skin highlighted both the physical impact of an eczema flare and the emotional strain of feeling uncomfortable in your own body. These works spoke loudly about identity, perception, and the struggle to feel at home in one’s skin.
Adults: Reflection and Advocacy
The adult entries carried a different weight – sometimes reflective, sometimes humorous, and often deeply moving.
One poem summed up the relentlessness of living with eczema:
“The pain, the gain,
The skin, the win,
More sore, less sure,
The long for a cure.”
Another piece made me smile. It cleverly compared scratching eczema to winning a scratch card, a guilty pleasure we know we shouldn’t indulge in, but often do. The humour conveyed resilience and the importance of finding lightness in the face of stress, which can itself be a trigger.
A particularly emotional written entry detailed the act of packing for university. The practical items like bed sheets which need extra consideration for those living with eczema, it also revealed the emotional baggage of growing up with eczema – painful memories that never quite leave.
What judging taught me
This competition reminded me that art is more than paint on paper, words on a page, or a crafted creation. It makes the invisible visible by turning private struggles into something visible, and giving shape to feelings that are often too difficult to describe.
To everyone who took part, thank you. You didn’t just enter a competition, you contributed to a powerful shared voice. All of the entries can be viewed on the Rapid Eczema Trials website.
If you would like to find out more about Rapid Eczema Trials, please visit our website or email us on eczema@nottingham.ac.uk
The Rapid Eczema Trials project involves researchers, healthcare professionals and citizen scientists (people with eczema and parents of children with eczema) working together to answer important questions about eczema by designing and running clinical trials together.
The Rapid Eczema Trials programme is sponsored by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research programme (PGfAR NIHR203279). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
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