Zen Garden Rock Art QEII Canvas 2025

Community Engagement Public Art Project

I had the honour of collaborating on QEII Canvas 2025, an inspiring community art initiative at the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, which invited patients, visitors and staff to contribute personal designs for a shared public installation. My team and I hand‑painted selected designs onto hundreds of rocks during Harmoney Week. After a careful curation process, the painted rocks were then cemented into the Physiotherapy Garden, a tranquil site redesigned as a Zen Space – a place for pause, reflection, cultural connection and artistic legacy.

Working within this collaborative framework reinforced how public art can truly foster community connection. It was moving to see the variety of personal designs from the QEIIMC community. The space is now layered with meaning – the interplay of place, memory and collective creativity. Using simple materials to reflect a spectrum of cultural stories, the installation feels both grounded in the site and shaped by individual expression. This project reminded me how public art can transform everyday landscapes into inclusive, thoughtful places. Inviting people to connect, reflect and perhaps even find unexpected moments of calm. It was truly a pleasure to be a part of.

Painting team: Tarryn Tempestt, Dana Edwards, Seantelle Walsh, Tessa Dorotich. Creative workshop activities: facilitated by Maddi_B_Artworks.