Fighting spirit is there for all to see

HANDING it over . . . (from left) Julie Davies (lead radiographer), Tracey and Jacky Plant (fund-raising officer)

OLDHAM artist Tracey Walshaw captured the spirit of the survivor in a mosaic which is close to her heart.

The 51-year-old followed a pattern which beat its own path to create a stunning work of art available for all to see.

It was featured in an exhibition at Gallery Oldham and hangs in the Christie radiotherapy centre at the Royal Oldham Hospital to give inspiration and hope to all.

Tracey said: “It evoked memories and conversations with visitors about their own experiences around the piece’s emotional subject. Within this mosaic I honour, remember and try to represent the courage, resilience and struggle of women who have had and are battling breast cancer.”

It was that reaction which prompted Tracey, who has a daughter, Jennifer (26) and son, Peter (23), to ask the Christie if it would accept the mosaic as a donation for Oldham’s new radiotherapy unit.

“Being from Oldham, it felt fitting that ‘The Spirit of the Survivor’ would find a home there,” she added.

Tracey, who is married to Martyn and lives in Werneth, added: “In handing over the piece I was privileged to get a look around the new building, which I found to be full of light and hope.

“I’m sure it will be a good place to recover and tackle the challenges of cancer.”

Tracey, who is a counsellor and spent 15 years as a mental health nurse, does mosaic in her spare time for pleasure.

She said: “It’s about telling a story. ‘The Spirit of the Survivor’ was a challenge to my creative process right from the start.”

Tracey used pink as a background and explained: “I can’t tell you how many times I removed the pink agates and tried to replace them with blue, brown or turquoise. But the mosaic seemed to reject the other colours. The pink agates demanded to be in the background of this representation of women as a survivor of cancer.

“So pink it was — I surrendered to the mosaic’s own will.

“Over many years as a therapist I have worked with women who have battled various kinds of cancer, in particular breast cancer.

“In my personal experience, I am reminded that my mum, Audrey, spent a spell of time in the Christie fighting lung cancer before she eventually died 14 years ago.”




See more of Tracey’s work at www.traceywalshaw mosaics.com