West Middlesex University Hospital is now home to a striking series of new art installations commissioned by CW+. The works mark a major refresh of the hospital’s art collection and demonstrates our commitment to bringing gallery-standard artworks into a hospital setting, challenging expectations of what art in healthcare can be.
From a vibrant courtyard sculpture by award-winning artist Hannah Lim – who was born at West Mid – to an ambitious multimedia corridor installation inspired by nature’s healing power, the new works infuse the hospital with fresh colour, calm and creativity.
As part of its award-winning Arts in Health programme, CW+ has been working across the site to revitalise and expand its art collection, aiming to make it more reflective of the staff, patients and local communities it serves.
Championing diversity through art
A conscious focus of this series was the commissioning of three female artists from diverse backgrounds. This forms part of the charity’s commitment to diversify and redress the gender imbalance in its collection, ensuring it better represents the communities the hospital serves while celebrating a broader range of voices and perspectives.
Highlights include:
- A vibrant courtyard sculpture titled Winged Archway by Hannah Lim, which has transformed a previously under-used corner of the atrium into a colourful and restorative space. West Mid-born Hannah held a creative workshop with staff and later carried out public consultations in the atrium with staff, patients and visitors on the final colours and design, which shaped the finished artwork.
- Healing Flows, an ambitious multimedia installation by Lucia Pizzani in collaboration with Jaime Gili, Javier Weyler and Ezequiel Pizzani, which now lines the corridor between the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Operating Theatres, including the ICU visitors waiting area and quiet room. Incorporating ceramics, ceiling collages, abstract painting and soundscapes, the work brings the estuaries, plants and waterways around West Mid into the hospital itself.
- Isleworth Riverside, a specially commissioned large-scale painting by leading British-Nigerian artist Joy Labinjo, which brightens the East Wing, celebrating storytelling, identity and community.
New commissions shaped by staff and community
The new artworks were created in close collaboration with West Middlesex University Hospital staff, while workshops and consultation sessions helped influence the final designs, ensuring the pieces are not only visually striking but also strongly connected to the West Mid community.
Hannah Lim said: ‘It was incredibly meaningful to return to the hospital where I was born to create a piece for today’s patients and staff. The conversations and creative sessions with staff gave me a real sense of the community here, which directly shaped my design.’
Lucia Pizzani said: ‘Humans have always gone into nature to find calm and reconnection, and this is even more important in a hospital setting. With Healing Flows, I wanted to bring the natural world into the ICU, creating an environment that feels restorative for patients, families and staff alike.’
Joy Labinjo said: ‘It’s been wonderful creating this artwork for West Middlesex University Hospital. Inspired by conversations with staff about bringing the outside in, I painted colleagues walking through Isleworth Riverside on their way to work – a calm, everyday moment. I love the fact that the painting lives within the community it depicts.’
Trystan Hawkins, Director of Patient Environment at CW+, said: ‘At CW+ we believe art has the power to transform healthcare environments. These new commissions at West Mid are part of our ongoing commitment to creating uplifting hospital spaces that support patient and staff wellbeing.’
The refreshed art collection builds on CW+’s pioneering Arts in Health programme, which, in addition to bringing original artworks to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, regularly delivers live performances and creative workshops for patients and staff.
For more information about CW+ and its Arts in Health programme, visit https://www.cwplus.org.uk/what-we-do/arts-in-health/
