{"title":"UHCW Summer Exhibition: Art as Healing","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis exhibition brings together eight international artists united by a shared belief in art as healing. Each draws on their own experience, ranging from sudden hospitalisations to lifelong disabilities. The works explore a range of media from crayon on paper, oil paint and printmaking through to dressmaking and mixed media. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCurator \u003cstrong\u003eCharlie Kirkham\u003c\/strong\u003e, brought the group together after connecting with the artist through both art and heart patient networks. Featuring voices from the UK, USA and Australia the show celebrates art’s ability to cross geographical boundaries and speak to the universal experience of physical fragility.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe artists explore their experience with surgery, hospitalisation and chronic conditions through varied means. Who could forget the rib cage dress from \u003cstrong\u003eCaz Wilson \u003c\/strong\u003e(Great British Sewing Bee in 2025)?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis  zip-up dress, inspired by her experience of heart valve replacement surgery, celebrates life after scarring.  It is a beautiful, wearable artwork, shown here against an operating theatre sign. The dress unzips to reveal the heart itself. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAshley Bravin’s\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDisability Alphabet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e explores disability, identity and how to communicate these realities to others. In her series everyday objects take on new meaning. The bed, once a place for sleep, becomes a recovery space, a home office, or sometimes a place of confinement. Her art helps viewers see the daily shifts that chronic illness brings. She used her own service dog as model for ‘\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eS is for Service Dog’.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIluá Hauck da Silva\u003c\/strong\u003e combines drawing and digital technology to reflect on a life-threatening infection in her petrous bone (at the base of the skull). This led to sixth nerve palsy which affects eye movement and vision. Her pieces blend anatomical imagery with religious symbolism exploring the experience from the perspective of both bone and eye. The work was further developed during a residency with the Royal College of Optometrists. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCoventry-based artist \u003cstrong\u003ePrashant Kansara \u003c\/strong\u003eworks in both drawing and film to navigate life with bipolar disorder. In these vibrant crayon drawings he references Henri Matisse.  His two reflective portraits, created especially for the exhibition, use colour to soothe. He invites viewers to reflect how art can bring peace in times of internal and external turbulence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorking in lithography and collage, Australin artist \u003cstrong\u003e Kathryn Lean\u003c\/strong\u003e draws on her challenges with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart rhythm condition. In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWired Heart \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshe collages ECG cables onto the print, capturing the overlap between medical reality and creative expression. She created it in two parts, the lithograph print was hand carved, inked and printed. Each one is a unique, intricate creation, much like each individual patient. The bright ECG emphasises the medicalisation process. It reflects the feeling that the heart becomes separated from the self during treatment. Her collage addresses the tension between body and spirit in medical settings. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGlasgow-based painter and printmaker \u003cstrong\u003eSarmed Mizra \u003c\/strong\u003egrounds himself in the natural world. As a sailplane glider pilot he has viewed the earth from above, in contrast his daily meditation practice is at ground level among the trees. His intricate paintings of leaves encourage us to pause and notice the everyday wonder around us. His simple philosophy is this: the way we attend to the world shapes how we live in it and how we leave it. He invites you to look closer at the beauty around you. A fallen leaf, a swaying branch, the birdsong behind the traffic. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCalifornia-based performance artist and painter \u003cstrong\u003eRuby Vartan\u003c\/strong\u003e grew up in war-torn Lebanon. She uses her own body as a paintbrush, working in fabric, paint, charcoal and ink. In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLight through the Cracks\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e she celebrates the resilient female spirit. Her practice rejoices in the power of movement to process trauma. She uses the forward movement of the body to reflect on physically moving forward into healing. Bringing in figurative elements alongside abstract, emotional statements this mixed media work contains multiple layers of meaning. It is a message of hope, that the light will always find cracks to shine through no matter how dark it is right now. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn her “Heart Heroes” series \u003cstrong\u003eCharlie Kirkham\u003c\/strong\u003e portrays people living with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and ICDs. Many are young patients who are navigating heart conditions alongside navigating adulthood.  These sensitive portraits trace journeys through different stages of heart conditions, including life after transplantation. They reveal unexpected truths, how someone may shift from being a “heart patient” to managing immunosuppression post transplant. In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHyacinth\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeart Transplant \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshe includes a small hyacinth  tucked into a model’s hair, honouring a friend lost along the way. Her second portrait \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwapping Bikes for Cameras\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is of a former competitive cyclist adapting to life with a pacemaker, one cycling-short brace is lowered to avoid pressure on the device. It reflects the sense of life before and after complete heart block. In this case cycling was restricted and the model discovered photography, using creativity to navigate a new lifestyle. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach artwork offers a space for reflection. They give a voice to the everyday struggles that accompany health challenges. Art, through both the process of looking and that of creation offers healing. The artists hope that in these images you find connection and joy. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"heart-transplant-hyacinth-study","title":"Heart Transplant, Hyacinth (Study)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis original oil painting is a serene portrait study from acclaimed artist Charlie Kirkham’s  \u003cem\u003eHeart Painted Heroes\u003c\/em\u003e series. Executed in a violet oil palette on a museum-grade artist surfaces studio wooden panel, the work captures a quiet, introspective moment with one of the series’ models. This is a celebration of life after organ transplantation. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figure appears contemplative and at peace, her face rendered with the barest, most economical marks needed to convey expression and presence. A luminous sash brings a soft glow of light across the composition, while the delicate flower element woven into her hair serves as a poignant symbol of a lost friend, woven into the painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Details:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Original oil on museum-grade wooden panel (Artist Surfaces)\u003cbr\u003e- Panel is ready to hang — prepped for D-rings or mirror plates  \u003cbr\u003e- D-rings or mirror plates can be supplied with the painting (please specify your preference when ordering)  \u003cbr\u003e- Subtle mauve-dominated palette with delicate light play  \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA beautifully restrained and emotionally resonant piece that rewards close viewing, perfect for collectors who appreciate contemporary figurative painting with soul and subtlety.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Charlie Kirkham Art","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59658768417102,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/7026\/1838\/files\/SamC_1_oilonboardWEB.jpg?v=1778762107"},{"product_id":"swapping-bikes-for-cameras-icd","title":"Swapping Bikes for Cameras (ICD)","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn her “Heart Heroes” series Charlie Kirkham portrays people living with implanted cardiac devices such as pacemakers and ICDs. Many are young patients who are navigating heart conditions alongside navigating adulthood.  These sensitive portraits trace journeys through different stages of heart conditions, including life after transplantation. They reveal unexpected truths, how someone may shift from being a “heart patient” to managing immunosuppression post transplant. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer second portrait \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwapping Bikes for Cameras\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is of a former competitive cyclist adapting to life with a pacemaker, one cycling-short brace is lowered to avoid pressure on the device. It reflects the sense of life before and after complete heart block. In this case cycling was restricted and the model discovered photography, using creativity to navigate a new lifestyle. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Details:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Original oil on museum-grade wooden panel (Artist Surfaces)\u003cbr\u003e- Panel is ready to hang — prepped for D-rings or mirror plates  \u003cbr\u003e- D-rings or mirror plates can be supplied with the painting (please specify your preference when ordering)  \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Charlie Kirkham Art","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59662823522638,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/7026\/1838\/files\/CharlieKirkham_SwappingBikesorCameras_oilonboard.png?v=1778780449"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/7026\/1838\/collections\/UHCW_May_-_September_2026_Flyer_A4.png?v=1778761880","url":"https:\/\/charliekirkhamcurator.com\/collections\/uhcw-summer-exhibition-art-as-healing.oembed","provider":"Curated by Charlie Kirkham","version":"1.0","type":"link"}