October 2020 - May 2021
In February 2020, a team of paediatric nurses at Charing Cross Hospital lost a much-loved colleague. They commissioned me to create a commemorative artwork that would celebrate her life and provide a lasting tribute for display on the ward.
I met with the team over Zoom, where we shared a moving and deeply personal conversation. As I listened, several recurring themes emerged: her love of butterflies and her Portuguese heritage.
My research began with the geometric patterns found in traditional Portuguese ceramic tiles. The nurses told me she had deliberately chosen mismatched tiles for her own kitchen—a reflection of her appreciation for individuality and imperfection. I also studied the intricate markings on butterfly wings and was struck by the visual connections between these two sources. Through a series of stencil experiments, I layered and combined these motifs to create new patterns that echoed both influences.
Alongside these references, I explored traditional Portuguese embroidery. Its tactile, hand-crafted quality resonated with something one of her colleagues had said during our conversation: that she had a gift for making every space feel like home. Incorporating hand stitching into the piece became a way of expressing that warmth, care and sense of comfort.
To allow the layered patterns to remain the focus, I kept the colour palette deliberately restrained. Yellow symbolises her generosity, optimism and warmth, while blue reflects her quiet resilience and inner strength.
The finished artwork is composed of nine 15 × 15 cm paper "tiles", embellished with gouache, gold leaf and hand embroidery. The piece is permanently displayed at Charing Cross Hospital.
