Artwork submitted by NHS Forth Valley and Serco staff for the key workers Rainbow Wall in Forth Valley Royal Hospital has now found itself in the company of a contribution from world famous artist Damien Hirst. He recently gifted a limited-edition print of his Butterfly Rainbow artwork which is made up of bands of coloured butterfly wings, one of the artist’s best-known motifs.
It was created in May 2020 and all profits from the sales of Butterfly Rainbow – a staggering £1.5m plus – were donated to NHS Charities Together, the organisation that represents and supports the official NHS charities working across the UK.
Damien Hirst said: “I wanted to do something to support the many people who are risking their lives to help those in need during this time of crisis. The rainbow is a sign of hope and I’m so pleased to have released these prints to help fund their brilliant work.”
Also on display in the atrium are a series drawings by hospital porter Barry Shaw that portray key NHS workers alongside famous superheroes. His drawings will be sold and profits donated to charity. Another superhero featured is ‘Larry the Larbert Coo’ by Denise Liddell, an NHS Forth Valley Patient Flow Call Handler, who designs and draws her own quirky versions of ‘heelan coos’ and during lockdown decided to dedicate one to the NHS. Other art showcased on the wall include the works of local schoolchildren who’ve submitted paintings and drawings.
The semi-permanent exhibition has been curated by Artlink Central for NHS Forth Valley and is designed to show support and gratitude for the care shown by NHS staff during the current ongoing pandemic.
(Picture: Silvia Sinibaldi, Visual Arts Assistant Curator with Artlink Central, hangs the Damian Hirst on the Rainbow Wall at Forth Valley Royal Hospital)
