A curated exhibition celebrating the creativity of artists with neuro-disabilities at RHND.
Emerge! is a multi-space exhibition created at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHND) as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2025. Commissioned as the curator artist, I worked with the art room team, technicians and facilitators to bring together years of studio work into a coherent and welcoming exhibition.
Each board, practice and room carried its own character. My role was to shape a structure that connected these strands, guide the team through the practical steps of mounting the show and introduce an exhibition language that gave the work the presence it deserved. Emerge! became a celebration of creative strength, shaped by many hands and daily acts of making.
The Story
RHND’s creative programme supports artists with neuro-disabilities across a wide range of practices. Much of this work happens in separate rooms and routines. The LBoC grant offered a rare chance to bring it together and share it more widely.
At the outset, there was no clear plan, equipment or starting point. Working alongside the art room team, we developed a framework that honoured the artists’ processes while giving visitors a simple way to enter the work. Together, we shaped an exhibition that revealed the ingenuity, effort and joy within the hospital’s creative life.
Creative Process
We structured the exhibition around three rooms, each offering a different perspective on making at RHND.
1. The De Lancey Lowe Room — HOW
This space introduced visitors to the technologies and adaptations that support creative practice. From EnaBall’s wheelchair innovation to specialised tools, the room revealed the physical intelligence behind the work. Large-scale pieces showed the energy and experimentation that define making at RHND.
2. The Assembly Room — WHAT
Here we presented the artworks themselves: ceramics, paintings, collages, stained glass and mixed-media pieces. The space was treated with the same respect as any contemporary gallery — a clear statement about artistic excellence, not sympathy. It allowed each artist’s voice to hold its own.
3. The Art Room — WHERE
The working studio remained unchanged. Full of colour, texture and materials, it invited visitors into the place where creativity happens daily. The room held the spirit of the programme — community, persistence, play and the quiet discipline of returning to the table.
My Role
Working closely with the Art team, I curated the exhibition, developed its structure and supported the team in preparing work for display. I advised on equipment and worked with staff to source what was needed across the three rooms.
I also designed the exhibition’s visual identity, including posters, programmes and print materials. My focus throughout was to present the artists’ work with clarity and dignity, shaping spaces that allowed visitors to understand and appreciate the depth of practice at RHND.
Community Impact
- Artists gained visibility and recognition beyond the studio.
- Families, carers and staff engaged more deeply with the creative programme.
- The exhibition strengthened confidence across the art room team.
- The framework provides a model for future exhibitions at RHND.
“
It’s been weeks and we are still talking about it!’.
“
~ RHND staff member
Partners & Credits
- Commissioned By: Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHND)
- Programme: Wandsworth Arts Fringe (LBoC 2025)
- Curator Artist: Roopa Basu
- Art Room Team: Sian Cook & Krystyna Pezinska
- With thanks: All staff at RHND supporting access; and the Deputy Mayor of Wandsworth for attending the private view as our special guest.