Andrea St. Clair, Renewal, walnut, white oak, MDF, plywood, paint, metal hanger, $1,200

In 2023 I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called IgA Nephropathy. Unfortunately, by the time we found out, I was already in stage 5 kidney failure with just 13% of my kidney function left. Dialysis quickly followed, and I spent the rest of that year unable to create anything. At the end of 2023, I got my kidney transplant. Thanks to my big brother, I got my new kidney in the same year that I was diagnosed with kidney failure. So many people have to wait years for a transplant. Some never receive their transplant at all and have to spend the rest of their lives on dialysis. I waited just 288 days from official diagnosis to transplant. It felt like forever, but it was so little compared to most. Renewal is part of a collection that started as doodles while I was recovering from surgery. I felt inspired in a way that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was so cool finally to feel that way again.