The art of happiness
A number of high-profile artists have come together to create a restorative environment in a London psychiatric ward.
photo Nick Knight
Hidden away in south-west London is one of the most exclusive art galleries in the UK. Turner Prize winners and renowned fashion photographers are displaying their work for viewers at the Phoenix Unit – a secure psychiatric hospital in Tooting.
It’s home to 18 residents with severe and enduring mental health problems who live there, on average, between one and three years as they recover and regain their independence.
For now, the interior walls are decorated with the same calming, yet chilly, colours throughout, with the quiet room and activity room looking very similar. But the artists are coming.
