Studio Carrom
Hollow Ponds, 2023
Hospital Road, Whipps Cross Hospital
An artwork for the temporary hoarding along Hospital Road at Whipps Cross Hospital, has been created by local artists Studio Carrom, in collaboration with Waltham Forest residents and Whipps Cross Hospital staff and volunteers. The artwork is a celebration of the abundant natural beauty which surrounds this hospital site, installed while preparations take place for the new redevelopment.
Spanning over 57 metres, this artwork gives the viewer the opportunity to traverse a fictional vista inspired by nearby Hollow Ponds, and explore the flora and fauna to be found therein. The imagery takes inspiration from a series of workshops with nature experts Tindersticks, who help Waltham Forest residents explore and connect with the bountiful nature found within their local forests. During a series of activity sessions around Hollow Ponds, participants were asked to draw or photograph elements of the nature which most inspired them. The gathered images have been translated by Studio Carrom into this large-scale design which features oak and maple leaves from the surrounding trees, buttercups, daisies and mushrooms, as well as the boating pond and its former resident, a rare black swan known as ‘Bruce’.
We hope that this mural will encourage the hospital community to explore and connect with their neighbouring forests, parks and lakes, and experience nature’s capacity for healing and restoration.
More information about Tindersticks can be found here
Studio Carrom is a multidisciplinary design studio based in London and Bangalore, founded by Priya Sundram and Nia Thandapani. The Studio collaborates with arts, culture and heritage organisations on projects to explore and celebrate cultural diversity through a wide variety of media. Recent collaborations have included the British Council, Cambridge Botanic Gardens, William Morris Gallery, and the V&A Museum.
