Paul Curtis: Strength, Hope and Recovery

Paul Curtis: Strength, Hope and Recovery

Liverpool City Region’s Artist of the Year 2020 Paul Curtis is responsible for creating almost 200 public artworks in just 4 years. Paul has created a new mural of Red Rum for our current exhibition celebrating the three time Grand National winner, the first time Paul has created a mural for a gallery exhibition.

His first (and perhaps most famous) piece of street art, For All Liverpool’s Liver Birds, created a popular tourist landmark in Liverpool and attracted world-wide attention.

The University of Liverpool commissioned Paul to create an original artwork for their annual magazine’s cover, based around the famous Liver Bird wings. Strength, Hope & Recovery was the result of this collaboration.

“The painting tries to sum up 2020. Last year was a pretty dark year and many people have suffered. But undoubtedly, we’ve seen heroes emerge from that darkness, in particular, the NHS staff on the frontline.” – Paul Curtis

In the painting, the nurse represents those heroes. She is kneeling (a reference to another strong image from 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement), head bowed but undoubtedly in a posture of strength rather than defeat.

Paul explains “I tried to position her so that she appears as though she is ready to take off. The wings have broken free of the wall [which] is symbolic of lockdown, and are now part of her. Together they represent recovery and hope. People often tell me that For all Liverpool’s Liver Birds gives them hope and positivity. They link the image with their loved ones, so hopefully many people will feel a personal connection to the piece.”

At Paul’s request the Strength, Hope & Recovery painting will be auctioned next year in aid of Alder Hey hospital. The painting will tour galleries across Merseyside, after which the painting will be donated to Alder Hey. The hospital’s fundraising team are currently in the planning stages of an art exhibition event that will take place in Spring 2022, at which the painting will be auctioned.

Strength, Hope & Recovery is currently on display in the foyer at The Atkinson.

Updates about the auction will be made on Paul’s social media.

@PaulCurtisArtwork on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
paulcurtisartwork.com


 

Posted on 9 August 2021 under Exhibition, General news

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