United By Unique

An art exhibition open between 3rd February to 28th February 2025

United By Unique exhibition available ion the Oglesby Cancer Research Building.

Introduction

Welcome to the digital gallery of United by Unique, an exhibition of paintings created by patients in The Christie’s art room.

This exhibition has been curated by the team at Manchester Cancer Research Centre in collaboration with Pat Mountford, Artist in Residence at The Christie.

United by Unique features a beautiful selection of artwork painted by patients treated at The Christie hospital in Withington. The art room, funded through donations to The Christie Charity, is a relaxed space that supports patients, carers and staff by helping them discover their creativity at a time when they may be feeling at their most vulnerable.

 

I’ve been a part of The Christie Art Room for over 20 years. The work that is produced by all the artists blows me away. I feel so delighted to share a small selection of paintings produced in the Christie Art Room. I hope you enjoy the exhibition as much as the artists enjoyed painting them!

Pat Mountford

Artist in Residence

Walking Up The Hill by Katie Seaton

Walking Up The Hill by Katie Seaton

Untitled Seascape by Ken Ashley

Untitled Seascape by Ken Ashley

Untitled Seascape by Pat Roache

Untitled by Pat Roache

Untitled by Nabila Sabir

Untitled by Nabila Sabir

Untitled by Martina Street

Untitled by Martina Street

Untitled by Madeleine Reid

Untitled by Madeleine Reid

Untitled by Julie Colville

Untitled by Julie Colville

Untitled by Aeisha

Untitled by Aeisha

The Road to Christie’s by Paul King

The Road to Christie's by Paul King

Poppies, Hay-on-Wye by Brenda Mallon

Poppies, Hay-On-Why by Brenda Mallon

Untitled

A collaborative piece by members of The Christie Art Room – this piece is a joint effort by several artists who have visited the art room, painted over several weeks.

Untitled A collaborative piece by members of The Christie Art Room – this piece is a joint effort by several artists who have visited the art room, painted over several weeks.

Hope by Christina Baimas

Hope by Christina Baimas

Four For The Christie by Sam Elbeik

Four for The Christie by Sam Elbeik

Untitled

A collaborative piece by members of The Christie Art Room – this piece is a joint effort by several artists who have visited the art room, painted over several weeks.

Collaborative piece by artists of The Christie Art Room

Cley Next The Sea at Dawn by Denise Thornton

Cley Next To Sea at Dawn by Denise Thornton
The cancer journey is a bumpy and rough one...

“The painting is technically the second in a series, but like great films, the sequel is created before the start. My start was Salford Royal in July 2023 where I was ambulanced having collapsed with loss of feeling and control waist down. MRI scans showed Malignant Spinal Cord Compression with cancer on spine and lungs. Emergency surgery later and my spine is held together L1 -T11 by rods and pins. I was an inpatient at Salford on a spinal ward for eight weeks. Final diagnosis was Metastatic Prostate Cancer with metastasis in several areas.

“Imagine the first painting in the series to be similar but with a straight path, blue wall and falling scaffold. It will be painted sometime. The Road to Christie’s represents the next stage of my journey. Palliative spinal radiotherapy, chemotherapy and medications to keep me alive, for now...

“The painting is imperfect, bumpy, stark. Cancer is like that, no easy path... Is the road uphill or flat? Depends on where you Look... What is certain is the road is rough, treatment is harsh. Cancer changes you physically and emotionally no matter the journey.

“The red wall focusses on the blood tests that predominate my thoughts. I cannot express the anxiety felt each time as I find out if this killer within me remains contained.
My thanks to The Christie Charity and their art room, who along with Artist in Residence, Pat, have supported and enabled my cathartic artistic expression.

Paul King

Artist of "The Road to Christie's

About United by Unique

United by Unique is open between Monday 3rd February 2025 – Friday 28th February 2025 at the Oglesby Cancer Research Building in Withington, M20 4GJ. The building is open between 09:00 – 16:00 and the exhibition is free to attend.

The Christie art room is 100% supported by the Christie Charity and its generous donors. If you’d like to support their work, you can do so on The Christie Charity website.

United by Unique - Artist Stories

Listen to Sam Elbeik, Paul King and Katie Seaton discuss the inspirations and stories behind their paintings. Total video length: 4 mins 16 seconds

Four for The Christie by Sam Elbeik

The Christie Art Room

The art room at The Christie is 100% funded by fantastic supporters at The Christie Charity and has helped many of our patients cope with these effects. They may never have picked up a brush before, but it's somewhere they can escape, and be with others who understand what they're going through. It does something medicine cannot do - it helps them to feel normal again.

The Christie Charity

The Christie Charity provides enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to our patients and their families.