How an Award-Winning Teen Uses Art to Turn Her Grief into Advocacy

Lillian Zhou received a National Gold Medal from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the second consecutive year.

For 14-year-old Lillian Zhou, art is a way to express herself. She is able to translate her emotions into artwork, while also helping others through her creativity and advocacy. 

Turning Personal Loss into Creative Expression 

Zhou, who is in eighth grade, was recently awarded two Scholastic Art & Writing Awards this year: a National Gold Medal for the second consecutive year, and The New York Life Award, one of the program’s special achievement awards. Her piece “Messages Sent Aflame” was inspired by the loss of her father to pancreatic cancer. Working on her art has given Zhou a way to work through the complex emotions surrounding her grief. 

“Making art helps me express my emotions by giving me an outlet,” Zhou said. “[Through] putting the brush on canvas and painting a concept or process that’s close to me, I'm able to give a visual explanation for what I feel. Before creating my first painting, I was never able to really explain the relief I felt after my dad passed. And while that might not be a normal reaction to one of your close relatives passing away, I felt like it was really important to me because my dad had been suffering so long from pancreatic cancer that it really pained me to see him suffering through that. So, when he passed away, I knew that he was free from all of that pain.” 

National Gold Medal Winner Lillian Zhou with her art teacher Tracy Wesinger in front of her award-winning painting, “Messages Sent Aflame".

How National Recognition Became a Platform for Change 

The New York Life Award, a special scholarship with the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, is sponsored by the New York Life Foundation and supports artists in their emotional journeys. The award provides scholarships of up to $2,500 to students in grades 7–12 whose creative works explore themes of personal grief, loss, and bereavement. 

Zhou shared the positive impact receiving the New York Life Award had on her self-esteem. “In the beginning of this process, I was always very hesitant to share my artwork because I felt that it was either not good enough or didn't deserve to be seen by other people. But after winning that award for my first painting, I really realized there are a lot of people out there who want to see my artwork and whom I’m able to share this with. I feel it really empowered me to start thinking more creatively in my artwork and just start painting more humans and expressing things that I saw around me.” 

Beyond her artistic recognition, Zhou is using her work to support others impacted by cancer. She has raised more than $1,000 in honor of her father for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network by selling her artwork, combining personal expression with advocacy and community impact. 

Lillian Zhou uses her art to work through the complex emotions surrounding her grief after losing her father to pancreatic cancer.

A Teen Artist with a Powerful Perspective

Zhou hopes her art can convey this message to others who might be struggling: “I really hope that people are able to see that they’re not alone and know that grief isn’t linear. Not everyone experiences grief the same way. They don’t have to feel devastated, or they don’t have to mourn. They can also be happy like I was but have these feelings all at the same time. I just really hope that people understand there’s others just like them out there who are able to talk and just be there if they need it.” 

For many young artists, sharing their work with others provides an opportunity to connect and inspire. Zhou’s story demonstrates that creative expression can help young artists navigate grief, foster resilience, and create valuable opportunities for personal development.