Moorfields opens its doors for First Thursday

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the first hospital to join Time Out’s First Thursdays East London gallery openings – the monthly East London art event.

Moorfields in City Road will open its doors on the evening of 4 February between 6-8pm for a new exhibition by London based artist Neoh. 

Neoh, who works as an art therapist for the Outsider Gallery London, trained at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. His first solo exhibition, Vandal Therapy, is a visual exploration of his states of mind through a series of expressively painted and vibrant self-portraits.

The exhibition, organised by the Moorfields Arts Committee, will be one of a series of three exhibitions this year at Moorfields which all aim to highlight that many people who are visually impaired still appreciate and are themselves active within the visual arts.

The hospital is also home to the BlindArt collection – a collection of “touch” artworks designed specifically for the blind or visually impaired. Dr Mariya Moosajee, Chair of the Arts Committee at Moorfields, commented: 

“I am delighted that Moorfields is the first ever hospital to participate in First Thursdays. The Arts Committee is on a mission to demonstrate that art should be accessible to everyone. We are delighted that Neoh has chosen to showcase his work outside of a gallery and within the hospital space.The fact that Neoh’s work is both visually appealing, and at the same time deals with difficult topics like mental health: it adds another dimension to it when set in a space like Moorfields. Losing one’s sight can be devastating, both mentally and physically. But people rarely talk about the emotional impact of sight loss.”

Artist Neoh remarked: "I’m really excited that my first solo show will be at Moorfields. It’s rare that the output of therapy is exhibited, but I believe that the arts can significantly contribute to peoples’ wellbeing, mental health and recovery."

“People often seem to associate my work with Art Brut because of the raw energy and bold colours and lines. That also makes it easier for people who are visually impaired to appreciate too, so it was always more attractive to me to have my first solo show in a hospital space where it’s accessible to everyone.” 

The exhibition will be held in the pharmacy/optometry corridor at Moorfields main hospital, City Road. Visitors should follow the green line from exit 4 at Old Street station and come in through the main entrance to Moorfields Eye Hospital on the corner with Cayton Street, which is fully wheelchair accessible. Volunteers will be on hand between 6-8pm to guide people to the exhibition.