Homerton Hospital’s first public exhibition in two years brings ‘feel-good factor’

The first public exhibition at Homerton Hospital for two years will have the “feel-good factor that everyone needs right now”, according to the curator.

Art workshops and a programme of displays tucked away inside the sprawling building have continued during the pandemic, and have been a boon for both patients and staff.

But an upcoming exhibition in the main corridor, set to go up either this month or in September, will brighten the days of the thousands of people who pass through the hospital’s biggest thoroughfare.

Many of the works will be instantly recognisable, because the artist chosen for the display is Hackney resident Jane Smith, whose creations feature the familiar canals, markets and landmarks of the borough.

Asked what it will mean to her, Smith said: “As a local artist and illustrator I have always had an affection for Homerton University Hospital and the NHS.

“Besides being my local hospital, it forms a central part of the community, with the belief that access to art plays a vital role in people’s physical, mental and spiritual recovery. Patients and visitors can also enjoy the uplifting colours and can recognise many local scenes in these prints.”

She added: “Whenever I have visited this vital hub of the community as either a patient or visitor, I have always been absorbed by the art on display, and I feel privileged to be able to show some of my work here too, as I believe that art plays a vital role in people’s physical, mental and spiritual recovery.”

The hospital’s art curator Shaun Caton said: “Yes, it has been a challenging time for us all and the ever-changing contribution of art, in all its forms, fits into the hospital’s diverse environment and makes a meaningful impact.

“Many staff have told me how much they enjoy seeing particular artworks each day in the hospital and people are very interested in the rolling programme of exhibitions.

“So with the advent of an entirely new exhibition by Jane Smith, the focus this time is on Hackney and its unique places and spaces, the familiar architecture, canals, markets and streets of our amazing borough.

“Jane’s style instantly communicates the topical landmarks of Hackney in a fresh, vibrant way. Her contemporary pictures of Hackney have the feel-good factor that everyone needs right now. They are bold and direct impressions of instantly recognizable places, that we have all visited or passed through at some point.

“By displaying these lovely artworks in the hospital’s main corridor, thousands of people will see them every day as they make their own journey through the building.”

Caton lifted spirits in April last year when he shared some of the artworks created by patients with brain injuries in the hospital’s Regional Neurological Rehabilitation Unit, which has an art room that first opened 25 years ago.