4 pics: ‘Brightness through the clouds of cancer’ – Mural by JDL in Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Street Artist Judith de Leeuw

By “Brightness through the clouds of cancer” by Judith de Leeuw at Prinsendam 2 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands for KWF / Dutch Cancer society, Avrotros / NPO1 & ICP.

Judith de Leeuw: Someone most close to me got diagnosed with terminal cancer when I decided to put all my heart and soul into this project. The final result was a complete TV show on the biggest dutch channel. The show was completely designed around the creation of the mural, inspired by cancer patients Pim, Ilse and Kelly. With doing so, big amounts of money were raised for cancer research.

It did not save the person I love most (he passed away), but it will save a lot of other partners, friends, mothers, sons and daughters’ that are affected by cancer.

Pim, Ilse and Kelly described how they started to live more intensely since the day of their diagnosis. They taught us to enjoy the sun that shines, the legs that you walk on and the body that breathes with you. Their unique talent is to see through the mist, realize and appreciate what you’ve got. Because of them, I’ve seized every last moment with the person I love most, and I hope it will be the same for many others.