Halina Edwards
Rising, 2024
Framed textile artworks, lighting scheme, wall colours and furniture scheme
NEL CSA Hub (Sunrise Hub), The Royal London Hospital
The NEL CSA Hub (North East London Child Sexual Abuse Hub) offers a holistic, child-centred and integrated approach to supporting the recovery of children, and their families, who have been affected by sexual abuse. Also known as the Sunrise Hub, it provides service for seven north east London boroughs.
Vital Arts commissioned Halina Edwards to transform a harsh, clinical space into a welcoming, reassuring area. Responding with sensitivity to a difficult brief, Edwards has thoughtfully crafted an engaging space, where young people have a sense of control over their surroundings. The walls are painted in calming tones, illuminated by soft, adjustable lighting (co-designed with Peter Hudson) to create a soothing environment. Inspired by the changing colours of the sunrise throughout the year, Edwards’s design provides a relaxing and dynamic atmosphere. Appropriately named ‘Rising,’ the artwork symbolises resilience and overcoming challenges.
As well as lighting design, Edward's installations features a series of textile artworks that resonate with the overall design. Gold fabrics evoke the texture of beach sand, vertical stripes reflect light on water, and serene blues capture the essence of the summer sky and ocean waves.
About the artist
Halina Edwards (b.1996, Jamaica) is a textile artist whose practice explores transitional space between intimacy and memory, and is informed by her background in fashion design. London-based, Edwards has worked collaboratively with GANNI, Flock Together, HOME by Ronan Mckenzie and V&A East.
This project was funded by Barts Charity.
