Hospital Art Studio

Cultivating a Floral Sculpture

The Brief

Our partnership with Hospital Art Studio continues to flourish through meaningful artistic collaborations that create impactful installations. Hospital Art Studio operates on the principle that art serves as a powerful, unifying force capable of offering comfort and healing to those navigating medical journeys. Imageco has contributed to their vision by crafting symbolic trees and ornate archways adorned with forget-me-nots and butterfly motifs. Our latest collaboration involved developing over 100 golden daffodils to take centre stage in the entrance of Prince Charles Hospital as a colourful, uplifting tribute to organ donors.

The Concept

Harry Van der Boospoort of Hospital Art Studio cultivated the idea and the transformative art behind this sculpture. Daffodils are one of the first flowers to appear after winter. They symbolise hope, renewal, and the start of something new. As the national flower of Wales, they also carry a sense of local pride. Each bloom in this artwork represents the life-changing gift that donors give to others. This meadow of daffodils spanned three walls, covering over 11 metres in total.

Sheet Metal to Spring Bloom

As this botanical sculpture is intended to stand the test of time and become a symbol of appreciation for years to come, the material of choice needed to be enduring. With this, aluminium composite material (ACM) was chosen as the base material for both the main wreath of daffodils and each individual flower that blossomed on the wall. The ACM was printed, brushed, and overlaid with a protective gloss lacquer. To achieve this layering and high-quality print finish, we utilised the swissQprint Nyala 4 flatbed printer, due to its capability to print on a vast range of rigid materials.

Daffodil Development

To curate this intricate floral display, each daffodil was expertly cut on our Zünd machine. The components were then carefully templated and marked so that when it came time to install, there was no confusion, and the final installation was seamless. For the installation, we prepared for the complexities that come with installing within a busy hospital environment, from health and safety procedures, to being flexible with the installation time to ensure minimal disruption to the hospital’s day-to-day operations.

Flourishing Floral Displays

This project brought together skilful printing and finishing alongside proficient project management, led by Project Manager, David Shackleton. From initial brief to final installation, the production spanned several weeks, resulting in 302m2 of printed materials. As always, when the final installation took place, the client was delighted with the result, seeing their dashing daffodil display become a place of remembrance and reflection for hospital visitors.