United By Unique
An art exhibition open between 3rd February to 28th February 2025
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
Untitled Seascape by Ken Ashley
Untitled Seascape by Pat Roache
Untitled by Nabila Sabir
Untitled by Martina Street
Untitled by Madeleine Reid
Untitled by Julie Colville
Untitled by Aeisha
The Road to Christie’s by Paul King
Poppies, Hay-on-Wye 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.
Hope by Christina Baimas
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.
Cley Next The 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.