An exhibit by Cheri Lee Charlton

Unseen and Underserved

August 9. 2024 - November 3, 2024

"Women's bodies have long been considered alien and other in the history of medicine. Event today, a woman's ownership over her body and what she can do to it and with it is being threatened. Women's bodies have long been controlled by outside institutions rooted in unscientific attitudes based on religion and morality.

Inspired by the collection at the museum, I have created illustrated montages of delicate and beautiful feminine motifs of flowers and patterns intermingled with drawings of medical tools and treatments performed on women and girls throughout history. My intension with this work was to create illustrations that possess both beauty and start honesty. At first glance, the images may resemble those found in vintage fairy tale books, but upon closer inspection, they reveal the truths and horrors of the history of medical care for women."


Cheri Lee Charlton's exhibit, Unseen and Underserved, located in on the first floor, will be on view until November 3, 2024.

Cheri Lee Charlton is an illustrator, muralist, and teacher who lives in Chicago, IL. She has an MFA in Painting from Ohio University. She has been a college instructor for 15 years, most recently with the illustration department at Columbia College. Her clients include The Girl Scouts of America, Collectivo Coffee, Chicago Fire Soccer, NEWCITY Shopping Center, BLICK Art Materials, Gino’s Pizza, The Neighborhood Hotel, Rainbow Cone, and The Violet Hour.

In 2021, Cheri was selected by the American Consulate and The Sister Cities of Chicago to design and paint a large-scale mural in Casablanca to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of relations between Morocco and the United States.

About the Artist

Cheri Lee Charlton

Artist's Website
This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
The International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.