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At first glance my pottery painting appears to be a colorful representation of the eight major ABO and Rh blood types. However, the artwork is designed to communicate much more than simply memorizing which blood types can donate to one another. The large circles represent each blood type, while the smaller surrounding circles illustrate the blood types that each recipient can safely receive. Instead of using a traditional chart with arrows and tables, I chose to represent compatibility through the number and color of surrounding circles. This allows people to quickly see patterns. For example, AB+ is surrounded by all 8 small surrounding circles because it is the universal recipient, whereas O- has only one small surrounding circle because it can only receive O-. The goal was to turn a complicated compatibility chart into something that is both artistic and intuitive.
I chose this topic because I previously worked at the Blood Bank of Alaska, where I saw firsthand how important blood donations are. Although doors often think they are donating “blood” , what they are really providing is much more than that, it is a lifesaving resource. My experience led me to create artwork that reflects both the science and the human impact of blood donation.
The outer ring of the plate represents the major components of donated blood: red blood cells (RBC), plasma, platelets (PLT), and white blood cells (WBC). This section of the design is intended to go beyond the material covered in class. Transfusion medicine nowadays rarely transfuses whole blood. Instead, donated blood is separated into individual components such as red blood cells, plasma and platelets. This ensures that patients receive only what they need. For example, trauma patients often require red blood cells to restore oxygen delivery, while cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy frequently receive platelet transfusions because their platelet counts become dangerously low. Plasma is rich in clotting proteins and is commonly used for patients experiencing severe bleeding or clotting disorders. White blood cells are not typically transfused because of the high risk of complications, but they are included on the edge of the plate to represent the complete composition of blood and its important role in immunity.
Understanding compatibility requires more than simply memorizing donor-recipient pairs. The reason compatibility matters is because red blood cells carry surface molecules called antigens. Individuals naturally produce antibodies against antigens they do not have. If a patient receives incompatible blood, these antibodies bind to the donor red blood cells, causing them to clump together in a process called agglutination. This can lead to destruction of red blood cells, kidney damage, shock, and even death if not treated quickly and properly. Because of these risks, every donated unit undergoes blood typing, antibody screening, and crossmatching before it is transfused.
Although my artwork focuses primarily on ABO and Rh compatibility, blood donation and storage is much more complex. More than 300 blood group antigens have been identified, and patients who receive frequent transfusions may develop antibodies against less common blood group systems, making it increasingly difficult to find compatible blood. Therefore, blood banks maintain detailed records and perform extensive laboratory testing with every donation to ensure patients receive the safest possible transfusion.
I wanted this project to demonstrate that blood donation is more than learning blood types, it is a combination of immunology, physiology, laboratory science and compassion. Every donation has the potential to save up to 3 lives because each unit can be separated into different blood components that help different patients. My hope is that viewers first appreciate the artwork and then recognize the deeper scientific message.
Citations:
Murray, D. J., & Pennell, B. J. (2013). Split blood products. In Transfusion Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7123538/
Tong, N., Masel, D., Nguyen, P.-L., Asante, A., Refaai, M., Heal, J. M., & Blumberg, N. (2026). The case against infusing ABO incompatible antibody and antigen from all blood components. Transfusion and Apheresis Science, 65(2), 104402. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41633302/
National Library of Medicine. (2024). ABO incompatibility. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001306.htm