Illustrating Hospital Life

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) will be featuring a new art exhibition from world renowned locally based artist John Shelley.

John’s art, to be featured along the hospital ‘street’, the main corridor on Level 2, will display a history of his award winning children’s book illustrations over the last 30 years. It will feature illustrations in pen and watercolour for books published in Japan, America and UK, from traditional to modern stories.

John explained: “With my art I try to encourage the viewer to escape their environment, children’s book illustrations are like windows into another world for readers to explore with their imagination. I try to draw in viewers with mood and details, so each time they stop and glance they experience something new.”

John, based locally in Cringleford, spent 21 years as an illustrator in Tokyo before returning to the UK. His exhibition is one of the projects that have arisen from NNUH’s creative partnership with Dr Herb Fondevilla from Tsukuba University of the Arts, Professor Yasuyoshi Saito from the Tsukuba Hospital Arts Team and Natsue Hayward from the Centre of Japanese Studies at the University of East Anglia.

In September, a group of Japanese students, artists and academics, ran creative workshops at the hospital for patients and the public.

Emma Jarvis, Hospital Arts Co-ordinator, said: “Our colleagues in Japan take a different approach to art and John is a great example of bridging the gap between the two cultures, allowing East to meet West. The exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to explore another world through an internationally recognised and award winning artist’s work.”

The exhibition is open until March 2015.

Notes to editors:

The Hospital Arts Project at NNUH works on diverse projects with the community, interior design, site specific arts, performances, workshops, exhibitions, events, gardens and more. It is funded by grants from organisations and charitable donations. For more information visit old.nnuh.nhs.uk/arts  
Further examples of John’s work can be seen at www.jshelley.com