Before she ever stepped into a clinic, Andra Striowski was immersed in abstract ideas and oil paints. A philosophy PhD and accomplished portrait artist, Andra spent her early career in academia exploring the theoretical and the aesthetic. But everything shifted when she encountered the world of ocularistry. She met an ocularist at a time when she herself was in a career transition and quickly saw the incredible potential of combining art, empathy, and hands-on craftsmanship to help people feel whole again.
For Andra, the work is not just clinical, but deeply human. This work has allowed her to apply her artistic skills in a way that directly impacts someone’s life. Andra notes that she is not just making a prosthesis, but is helping someone reclaim a sense of identity. She’s now been an ocularist for over a decade, and through her Toronto-based clinic, Striowski Prosthetic Eyes, she’s become known not only for her technical precision, but also for her compassionate, patient-centered care, especially with children.
Her toolkit includes more than paintbrushes and impression materials. In her sessions with young patients, she uses a soft turtle doll and a squishy octopus toy, both with removable prosthetics, amongst other comforting props to help children understand and embrace their prosthetic journey. These tools allow trust and confidence to emerge during what could otherwise be intimidating procedures.
Andra also emphasizes the power of community in healing. She co-hosts support groups alongside Nav Dhillon, a woman who lost her eye and now powerfully articulates the emotional stages of that experience, and Genevieve McCarthy, a dedicated member and director of the Canadian Retinoblastoma (Rb) Society. Together, they’ve cultivated a space where stories, laughter, and hard truths coexist, modeled after the deep support networks within the Rb world. Andra sees Nav and Gen’s presence as critical to helping patients process what they’re going through, offering a peer perspective that is just as important as the prosthetic itself.
Innovation is another driving force for Andra, though she holds it in creative tension. She expressed both excitement and disappointment when discussing a groundbreaking eye-scanning project from Moorfields Eye Hospital in the UK. The program used digital imaging to scan and 3D-print custom prosthetic eyes in just 2.4 seconds. While it demonstrated non-inferiority in clinical trials and had already helped over 200 patients, after the project’s founder passed away and funding issues stalled progress, the initiative was left in limbo. Andra is currently trying to reach the project’s liquidators to see if there’s any chance of reviving its potential.
She’s also collaborating with a physicist to explore the science behind mucus buildup and socket irritation in anophthalmic patients, a frequently overlooked concern. This work aims to improve the lived experience of prosthetic eye wearers, combining her clinical insight with hard science to pursue better outcomes.
Whether she’s sculpting a prosthetic, leading a support group, or creating beautiful artwork for her studio, Andra Striowski embodies a rare blend of artistry, advocacy, and care. Her journey from philosophy and painting to ocularistry may seem unexpected, but for her, it’s all connected. Andra notes this is still art, just art with a purpose and a person attached to it.
