UAL Textiles & Surface Design diploma student Gray Currell was awarded second place in the South Tees Hospitals Covid Memorial Artwork Competition presented in recognition of the contribution to remembering and honoring lives affected by the pandemic. Her work which explores cyanotype was unveiled with hospital staff and Lecturers Rebecca Rowe and Caroline Forknall in attendance near to the Relatives Room on Critical Care at James Cook Hospital this May.

Set as a two week live brief by lecturers, “The project was quite open to our own interpretations.” Gray said “My main inspiration for this project came from prominent images that everyone would be able to relate to when they think back to that time. I used imagery that I found online and created a collage that I felt was a celebration of how we all worked to together during that time and the hard work of the NHS staff.”

Gray’s work was created using cyanotype a camera-less photographic printing process that produces unique, Prussian blue monochromatic prints, she said “I quite like using cyanotype in some of my projects so I had created a digital version of my collage and placed this onto fabric using the cyanotype technique.”

When asked about her reaction to coming so high up in the competition she said “When I found out that I was placed 2nd in the competition I was quite surprised but also proud of myself.”

Arts Group Lead for NHS South Tees and Harltepool NHS trust Dr Jean MacLeod “The University Hospital Tees Arts Council was very pleased to award a prize for Gray’s artwork and have arranged for this to be displayed for patients, visitors and staff in the critical care area at James Cook University Hospital. The use of cyanotype text in a pillow format was impactful and thought provoking as a reflection of our shared experience during the Covid pandemic. We are very grateful for Gray’s submission and permission to display her work.

When asked about her time on her textiles diploma Gray said “I personally really enjoy the textile course as it’s very open to our own ideas and interpretation. The staff are very helpful and we explore a wide range of techniques, I am quite glad with my decision to study at The Northern School of Art.”

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