Patients Create Artwork for 'Art Meets Science’ Exhibition

Patients at Bristol Children’s Hospital have been busy recently, creating beautiful art pieces for the ‘Art Meets Science’ exhibition created by the University of Bristol’s Neurosciences department. The exhibition explores the relationship between how our brains work, and how that impacts the art we create. And, alongside some big names in the art and neurosciences worlds, we’re proud to see pieces made by patients.

Patients created some incredible pieces through Arts Unleashed, our arts programme. We fund and facilitate a huge range of creatives, performers and musicians to entertain patients in Bristol Children’s Hospital. One of these artists is Luke, who is skilled in Tunisian Collaborative Painting, and brings the technique to life in workshops with patients.

Luke’s sessions involve no speaking. Two or more people work on the same canvas without first discussing what they’re going to paint. As time goes on, participants become more in tune with one another, and communication becomes instinctual. The goal is to end up with a piece of work that looks like it’s been created by just one person.

The magic of Tunisian Collaborative Painting lies in the process of painting alongside others in complete silence with no preconceived ideas or theme.

Offering patients and their carers the opportunity to take part allows them the chance to escape treatment for a moment and instead immerse themselves in a conversation based on nothing but colour, shape and form – and produce a completely unplanned painting by doing so!

I count the collaborative paintings I have made with young people and their families as some of the most important work I have had the privilege of facilitating.

Luke, Arts Unleashed artist

Meet two of our aspiring artists – Leo and his mum, Marie. For an hour, they painted in silence – except for a few giggles – and created a beautiful piece that told a story. In their painting, they’d explored themes around being in hospital, feeling lost, feeling hopeful, nature and finding your way home – all without speaking a single word.

If you’d like to see more wonderful patient artwork, head along to the ‘Art Meets Science’ exhibition this week.

The exhibition will be held in the Bristol Wills Memorial Building from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 June. On Wednesday, there is a day of talks and presentations from experts in the field of neuroscience. On Thursday and Friday, free walk-ins are encouraged.

Learn more about the exhibition