Nick Gentry

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NHS Portraits


Solo show
W1 Curates, London
2021

A two week display on London’s Oxford Street, showing portraits and stories from the front line of the Coronavirus pandemic.

This is a tribute to our frontline healthcare workers, expressing deep gratitude for their monumental efforts and the countless sacrifices they made in order to protect us all.

As these intimate accounts of the daily challenges they face are revealed, we can learn what human beings are capable of doing for each other. Amidst the horror of the pandemic we saw inspirational acts of compassion and kindness.

In this open project these people contributed their selfies and shared their stories in exchange for an artwork. Many asked to remain anonymous, so the portraits are intentionally sparse, with the words as the central focus.

The portraits are made from vintage computer punchcards, an early method of programming computers. The pandemic has accelerated the shift into a technological world. It may stand as our greatest hope, but is also something we must urgently do everything we can to understand and adapt to.

Showreel of NHS portraits at W1 Curates on Oxford Street in London


Recent exhibitions

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