The Thread: 2023

Commissioned by West Cumbria Hospital Trust​

This commissioned sculpture was for West Cumbria Hospital Trust and created as a memorial for organ donors and their families.

The piece was created to provide a focal point, stimulating awareness and conversations about organ donation.

I named the piece The Thread, with reference to our ties with each other, and the design of the sculpture carries this simple message in its figure of eight loop without beginning or end.

The sculpture represents continuity of life, the passing on of something precious and the receiving of something precious too, with no distinction between giving or receiving – the two things being equally important.

I was inspired by the personal stories of those affected by organ donation, and I came to the realisation that it is not a case of people affected and people who are not. I realised that nobody is exempt from the need to give or receive what is vital for our combined survival.

The Thread is situated in the inner courtyard of the hospital and seeks to be a place for reflection, recognition and remembrance.