“DNA-UCR” is a BioArt series created as a tribute to former Vice Presidents for Research of the University of Costa Rica (1974-2025) through personalized cellular portraits. Each work emerges from the integration of cell imagery, bodily textures, and personal narratives obtained directly from the individuals portrayed, establishing a dialogue between biological identity, lived experience, and institutional legacy.
The project brings together cell biology, fluorescence microscopy, macro photography, and digital visual composition to transform biological information into a poetic language of representation. Blood cells, iris textures, and skin microstructures become both artistic materials and symbolic traces of individuality, introducing a dimension of intimacy that cannot be artificially replicated. Through this process, the author explores the possibility of portraiture beyond physical appearance, seeking instead to evoke aspects of the subject’s essence, character, and contribution to the academic community.
Situated at the intersection of science, art, and memory, the series invites reflection on the relationship between biological uniqueness and personal history, proposing the human body as both archive and landscape. In doing so, “DNA-UCR” transforms scientific observation into a commemorative act that celebrates the individuals whose work helped shape the development of research at the University of Costa Rica.
Cellular Portrait of Otto Rodrigo Gámez Lobo
Plebotomy
Macro photography
Fluorescence microscopy
Digital photomicrography
Digital mixed media BioArt
2025 - 25 x 25 cm
Vice President for Research 1974
Description: The portrait was created using images obtained from the body of Mr. Luis, the son of Mr. Rodrigo. The periphery of the work displays the microscopic texture of the skin from his forearm, while the central panel reveals the macroscopic texture of his iris. Within the space of the pupil, a microscopic image of his erythrocytes (magenta) and one of his neutrophils is presented, with the latter’s genetic material appearing in blue after being labeled with a fluorescent intercalating agent that binds to the DNA double helix.
Author’s interpretation: The texture of Mr. Luis’s iris resembles the fur of a wolf, alluding to his father’s maternal surname. The central neutrophil and its DNA (blue) symbolize, respectively, Mr. Rodrigo and his profound passion for research, which he passed on to his colleagues, here represented by the surrounding erythrocytes imbued with that same DNA. This alludes to Mr. Rodrigo’s fundamental role in the consolidation of the Office of the Vice President for Research, extending a family legacy of public service established by his father, Mr. Uladislao, who served as Costa Rica’s Minister of Public Education on three occasions.