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Young artist finds creative way to pay hospital bills with portraits of ailing father

  • Woman who is hoping to get into art school in northeast China sells sketches online giving intimate glimpse of her dad’s life in cancer ward

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Wang Tianyue says her father, Wang Fei, taught at an art studio before he fell ill. Photo: Sina
Alice Yanin Shanghai

A 21-year-old woman in northeast China has found a creative way to help pay for, and cope with, her father’s cancer treatment – selling moving portraits of his life in hospital.

Wang Tianyue, who is hoping to get into art school in Shenyang, Liaoning province where she lives, has spent much of her time at the hospital where her father is being treated since he was diagnosed with terminal bile duct cancer in March, news website Sina reported on Wednesday.

The devastating news came not long after her mother underwent surgery for uterus cancer in September last year, according to the report.

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The diagnosis came not long after Wang Tianyue’s mother had surgery for uterus cancer. Photo: Sina
The diagnosis came not long after Wang Tianyue’s mother had surgery for uterus cancer. Photo: Sina

Wang had to step in to care for her father, Wang Fei, and since her main focus had been preparing for a test to get into a fine arts college, she decided to take her sketchbooks with her to the hospital.

She said it was distressing to see her father in pain, but the process of sitting with and sketching him was helping them to get through such a difficult time.

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