Resident Sue stars in ‘wonderful’ Hendog mural in dementia care home garden     

Our Winchester dementia care home has become the latest canvas for anonymous street artist Hendog, sometimes described as Hampshire’s answer to Banksy.

Their mural ‘A Hallmark Memory’ has been given pride of place on a wall in the garden of St Catherines View.

The picture features St Catherines View resident Sue Ouvry and a little girl, Athena Mackie, holding a teddy bear as the pair walk towards Winchester Cathedral.

The artwork came about after Laura Sheldrake, Companionship Team Leader at the St Catherines View, put out a plea on social media to coincide with World Art Day.

Laura asked if any artists in the community would like to come to the home and paint a mural in the garden.

Hendog responded, along with fellow artist Addie Thomas, paving the way for them to work together on the idea.

When Hendog visited St Catherines View to show Laura an initial design concept, they brought Athena along to model the little girl image. To complement that, resident Sue accepted an invitation to be the older person in the shot.

Laura said: “Hendog told me they had seen our social media post and would love to help with the design. You could see straight away that it was going to be a beautiful piece of art, and Athena was an absolute delight. She and Sue helped Hendog frame the perfect image for the mural. Sue’s involvement added a unique personal touch for her and everyone at our home.

“A few days later, Hendog and Addie came along to St Catherines View armed with pens, stencils and plenty of spray paint, and got to work. It took them six hours to complete the painting and installation, and it was worth every second. There are ten separate layers in the mural and we hope it will last a good couple of years at least.”

Laura then organised a grand unveiling for residents, families, team members, friends and community contacts, supplemented by homemade cake and bubbly.

“Everyone loved the artwork,” said Laura. “It even brought one or two people to tears because of how beautiful it is and what it captures.”

As she took in the mural and the image of herself, Sue said: “It is wonderful. I used to go to Winchester Cathedral all the time with my husband. I can’t believe that is me on the wall. They’ve done a great job.”

In an Instagram post, Hendog wrote: “Art for me has always been about the people who view it. So when the opportunity came up to paint in the garden of a dementia care home I jumped at it. I wanted to create something that some of the residents would be able to view for the ‘first time’ every single day. I wanted to create a nostalgic piece where the residents could imagine themselves as the grandparent or the child, to help them find joy in a world where they may feel lost. I’ve also left it unfinished so the grandchildren of the residents can add to it and hopefully this will help make them feel more at home.”

Collaborator Addie said: “I love being creative and had previously done artwork about the Cathedral which was displayed there so when I saw the design Hendog created I couldn’t wait to get started. Working alongside Hendog was an honour and pleasure to see them at work. I’m so pleased with how the final result came out and I hope to work with St Catherines View more in the future.”

Among the guests joining Sue, Athena and Addie at the unveiling were Pam Meir, a volunteer guide at Winchester Cathedral, and Councillor Jamie Scott of Winchester City Council’s St Luke Ward.

Cllr Scott said: “It was a brilliant occasion with two of the individuals who are in the painting in attendance. It gave me a chance to see first-hand the fantastic work that  happens at St Catherines View.”

Home Manager Vanda Baker said: “This is a fabulous community project that leaves a lovely artistic legacy for all to enjoy.”

Writing on social media, Athena’s grandmother Karen Colliss-Piper explained that the artwork is the third Hendog piece to feature her granddaughter. Karen added: “Thank you to St Catherines View and Councillor Jamie Scott of Winchester City Council for assisting with the unveiling and shining light on this amazing project.”

The mural is Hendog’s third new piece in or around Winchester in 2024.

Earlier in April, they painted a woman in a dress and shawl outside the Cabinet Rooms on Jewry Street in the city centre.

In February, they created a picture of a girl playing with a daisy chain on the St George’s Square Bus Shelter in Bishop’s Waltham.

The street artist originally made their mark at the bottom of St Catherine’s Hill several years ago with a piece entitled ‘boy with a kite’ on a wall near the Handlebar Café.

They have since created 25 works, 18 of which are in Hampshire. The St Catherines View mural is the only one to be sited in a care home.

Like Banksy, Hendog keeps their identity a closely guarded secret with most artworks appearing without warning.