Eczema-inspired sculpture arrives at QMC

A special sculpture highlighting the experiences of people living with eczema has been unveiled at the Treatment Centre at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre.

The piece, entitled ‘Colouring Adult Eczema – getting under the skin’, was developed and produced by artists Julia Vogl and Peter Hudson, after they held workshops across the UK with 30 adults living with eczema, including in Nottingham.

The sculpture comprises 30 coloured light boxes, each representing the different experiences of the 30 people consulted during the creation of the artwork. It was commissioned by Professor Sinead Langan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, supported by the Wellcome Trust.

The visit to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, which was funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity, is part of a tour around five UK hospitals. The sculpture was unveiled at the Treatment Centre, at the QMC, on Wednesday 24^th May, and will remain on show until Wednesday 28^th June 2023.

Its official unveiling was attended by artists Julia Vogl and Peter Hudson, Nottingham eczema patient Amanda Roberts, who was involved in the workshops to create the sculpture, other patients and members of staff from Nottingham’s hospitals, and colleagues from the National Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology.

Arts Coordinator Megan Dawes, who arranged for the piece to visit Nottingham and applied for the funding from Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “We’re so pleased to welcome this important piece of art to Nottingham. Eczema can be a debilitating condition, and with around one in ten people living with eczema, I think it’s important to shine a light on the condition and the experiences of those who live with it.

“The sculpture itself is really striking, and each light box contains words and feelings that will really get people thinking about what it’s like to live with eczema. We’d like to thank the artists for working so closely with people living with eczema to create the piece, and thank you to Nottingham Hospitals Charity for funding its visit to Nottingham.”