KMMS Host Lizzy Rose Exhibition

Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) were proud to welcome the friends and family of the late Lizzy Rose to unveil a series of her work in the Pears Building. The gallery presents a selection of artworks from the retrospective exhibition “Things I Have Learned the Hard Way.”

Lizzy Rose was a Margate-based artist and disability activist who died in 2022 following a long battle with a severe form of Crohn’s disease, a chronic autoimmune condition affecting the gut. Lizzy’s mother, Christine Luck, spoke passionately about her daughter’s health in a speech at the opening of the exhibition and said that Lizzy would be “very proud” to see her work presented in such a setting. 

Her art was shaped by her experience and awareness of the precarity of life, and directly addressed chronic illness and how society deals with it. Nasr Khiri, a fourth-year student in attendance, felt that it was a powerful exhibition for someone like him, stating: “It made me think about how someone like me as a future doctor can be more empathetic and compassionate towards my patients and ensure that they feel heard.” 

The selection of artwork on show consists of a series of watercolour paintings from her Hospital Watercolour Club, videos displaying her character, and a poignant text describing advice for those looking after her. 

Matthew de Pulford, a friend of Lizzy’s and one of the curators of the original exhibition, said: “As someone who was in and out of hospital for twenty years, Lizzy was something of an expert patient. We felt that she would have seized upon this incredible opportunity to speak directly to people training in healthcare. 

“Her work gives viewers a glimpse of the range of her experiences of health services, and the unstable balance of trust and power in these situations. 

“By making space for such art in the medical school, KMMS is giving staff and students access to an invaluable tool for reflecting on – and potentially reshaping – the way that diverse healthcare workers and patients can understand and work with each other to improve how we care for each other.” 

The work has previously been presented across multiple galleries in Margate (Turner Contemporary, CRATE, Well Projects and LIMBO) and at the ICA London. 

Our Dean, Professor Chris Holland added: “The visual arts are really important to remind us that there are other ways in which to communicate. We are ever so pleased to host something like this and are proud that we are able to do this for a Kent and Medway-based artist.” 

The exhibition, curated by staff and student members of the KMMS Art and Culture Steering Committee, will be displayed on the first floor of the Pears Building during office hours until Friday 28th June. Further information can be found on the exhibition website or by following @exhibitionforlizzy on Instagram.