Lauren Godfrey
What We Wore, 2022
Paint, wooden sculptures, vinyl, framed drawings
St Andrews Wing Entrance, Newham Hospital
The main entranceway of Newham Hospital has been transformed by Lauren Godfrey’s immersive artwork. It extends throughout the atrium space, rising to the ceiling, flowing along the first-floor mezzanine and across the windows at ground level. The work, the artist’s first commission within a hospital, is inspired by Matisse’s “cut-outs” with their flat expanses of coloured shapes. Godfrey also drew inspiration from the bold surface patterns used by the 1980s designers known as The Memphis Group.
The design for this artwork emerged from creative workshops with hospital staff and students from the nearby Plashet School. Participants were asked to bring patterned textiles which had personal meaning, and were invited to draw them, alongside fabric sourced from Newham’s Queen’s Market. Textiles included cloth from a student’s hometown in Ghana; a dress made from locally sourced fabric, that had been handed down across generations; and a scarf gifted by a relative who has since passed away.
The artist used motifs from these various textiles as a basis for the artwork, the centrepiece of which is a 25-metre mural at high level. Individual shapes and patterns from the drawings have also been extracted and translated by the artist into wooden sculptures and vinyl designs. Some of these elements from the overhead mural seem to float down to greet visitors entering at ground level. Meanwhile, the space is animated by translucent shapes on the windows that cast colourful shadows on the floor and walls, moving throughout the day with the changing sunlight that fills the atrium.
Drawings created during these workshops have been framed and displayed in the first-floor mezzanine to further celebrate the diverse community who inspired this commission. More information about their stories can be found below.
Lauren Godfrey is a London-based artist who studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. She has exhibited in Italy, Australia and the USA, as well as across the UK, at venues including the V&A, ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art), the De la Warr Pavillion in Bexhill and Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross. The artist’s work frequently invites interaction and collaboration, often creating public street furniture such as seating, water fountains and sundials.
Fabric Stories Behind the Artwork
This artwork would not have been possible without the local residents and hospital staff members who participated in the workshops—and whose textiles formed an integral part of the commission. Below is a section of fabric stories collected during the sessions, shown alongside the motifs which appear in the artist’s final artwork.
(Top Row Left)
This yellow and green motif can be found in the vinyl design on the discharge lounge window on the first floor. Drawn by Cindy Owusu Agyapong, the motif comes from a textile she brought to the workshop which comes from her family’s hometown in Ghana.
(Top Middle)
Visible in the large-scale overhead mural, this chequered pattern was drawn by Ashbah Rehman. It is inspired by a shawl gifted by her grandmother to her mother before she passed away. The shawl is now a treasured item for Ashbah and her family.
(Top Row Right)
This pattern, found in the overhead mural, had particularly meaning, because it was from a dress made especially by the participant’s mother, and which was a special treat not shared by her siblings. Created with fabric from Queen’s Market, the dress was unique and the participant’s favourite item of clothing when she was younger. Looking at it now, it makes her feel special, the participant said.
(Bottom Row Left)
This green, blue and lilac pattern is found within the main overhead mural. It was drawn by Jannat Khan and was derived from a pashmina which her grandmother bought for her mother. It has taken on special meaning because it reminds Jannat of her grandmother who lives abroad and doesn’t visit often—and because her mother is frequently complimented when she wears it.
(Bottom Row Middle)
This pattern comes from a scarf drawn by Mohini from Plashet School. It belongs to another workshop participant, Jessica. Gifted by her parents, it comes from their home county of Mayo in Ireland. When she wears it, the scarf brings back memories of long windswept walks along the coastline of Achill Island with her family.
(Bottom Row Right)
This rainbow pattern is from the uniform of the hospital’s Wellbeing Team, brought to the workshop by Catriona Rowland, Newham Hospital’s Head of Wellbeing. Created by the group Sew Solid Crew, who made scrubs for NHS Staff during the pandemic, the cloth used was created specifically for the NHS. Catriona noted that staff feel a sense of pride when they wear the “rainbow scrubs” and she hopes that seeing this motif in the artwork will encourage staff to reflect on their own wellbeing.
Our thanks to students from Plashet School: Ashbah Rehman / Saffiyah / Cindy Owusu Agyapong Nyamekye / Jannat Khan / Mohini Patel and Newham Hospital Staff Members: Catriona Rowland / Navjot Parmar / Bisi Oshinbolu for contributing their drawings to this commission.
Photography by Owen Richards
