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The anonymous artist behind uplifting drawings and quotes which have been delighting and inspiring hospital staff and patients alike over the past two years has finally been unmasked.
Marker pens, notice boards and whiteboards are the preferred medium of Gloucester Street's very own 'Banksy', whose works first began to appear in corridors in December 2022.
The first were inspired by the seasons and national holidays, but the designs have evolved over time into intricate drawings of a variety of scenes coupled with an inspirational or witty phrase.
"When you have an open mind you have the best views," said one recent offering, while another accompanied by a detailed stingray read: "In the waves of change, we can find our true direction." Other times, the tone is more humorous – a dripping syringe in the Phlebotomy Department being one example.
It was these more recent offerings that grabbed the attention of one appreciative passer-by, who shared the images on social media over the summer in a post that garnered scores of comments from similarly grateful islanders – and the interest of Express, who decided to try and track the artist down...
Pictured: Hospital Banksy's drawings often come with inspiring phrases.
The first clue came from commenter 'Fiona', who shared how the "temporary and ever-changing" artwork "brightens the corridor".
She noted that the works are "given freely by this generous artist who donates her time to create them after her shift", adding: "I find myself stopping, absorbed in the picture and transported for a moment.
"It's not what I expect in a hospital, which is all about purpose, and these pieces of art take me to a world of creativity and imagination."
Some light social media scrolling and a few clicks later and we found her, the 'Hospital Banksy' herself – a.k.a. Lina Urbanaviciute.
A Senior Health Care Assistant of Outpatients at the General Hospital, Lina told Express that, after initially dipping a toe in decorative drawings back in 2022, the positive reaction of Outpatient staff and visitors inspired her to continue.
Pictured: Senior Health Care Assistant Lina Urbanaviciute is the artist behind the hospital imagery.
After the initial Christmas, Valentine's Day presented another opportunity to decorate corridor boards, with the team opting for puns such as "you take my breath away" with a picture of an inhaler.
It was at that point she started to notice the difference the quirky drawings could make.
"Sometimes you wait an hour or something to be seen and you just see white walls. [I noticed] some people started putting their hands behind their back, just wandering around like in a gallery. I was like, 'That's cool!'"
It's exactly why Lina does it – "for the people". It's also where her inspiration comes from.
"You have either your colleagues going through something or patients you see in the day – in Phlebotomy, you see one every 10 minutes, and they all come with stories. So inspiration comes from people.... they simply inspire me by being themselves, by being open and talking about their troubles," Lina shared.
Pictured: Lina has a strong interest in promoting positive mental health.
Prior to moving to the Outpatients Department at the General Hospital, Lina worked at St Saviour's, which focuses on mental health. It's where her interest in contributing positively to people's wellbeing started – a "passion" that remains today.
"This whole thing is for wellbeing and mental health and today, I think a lot of people struggle," she said. "People that come here don't want to be here... To see something positive, it helps with your mental health which, in a way, kind of makes you feel different about your physical health as well."
Asked how it feels to be known as the 'Hospital Banksy', she replied: "It feels great. People stop. We are always in a rush, our whole society, everyone is so busy, no one stops... so when people stop for this, they read, and they look and they take time to comment."
"...You know the saying 'stop and smell the roses'? It's a bit like that," she explained. "They slow down, they read it and I hope they take something out of it."
One memorable comment wasn't necessarily the most positive – a child spotting a cat drawing on the wall and crying out: "Mum, there's a cat! I hate cats!" But the response still made Lina smile. "Any reaction is a good reaction, because they stopped".
Pictured: Lighthouses have often been a source of inspiration for Lina – so it's no wonder that this is one of her favourite pieces.
Lina says she has been delighted by the reactions of colleagues and passers-by, and has been similarly heartened by the support of her managers.
Some have queried whether she "should spend more time seeing patients, not doodling", but Lina kindly creates the designs in her own time, when not on shift.
Would she like to see more art spread around the hospital? Lina said she would encourage colleagues in other departments to "do anything that will benefit both their wellbeing and the patients' wellbeing."
Pictured: Conscious that waiting patients often only have white walls to stare at, Lina wanted to add some colour to the department.
Lina pointed to one colleague's work in transforming a noticeboard into a colourful 'Wellbeing Wall' collage as an example of how little additions can go a long way.
The artist said she has no plans to stop her work.
In fact, when Express caught up with her in the autumn, she was already planning her "wintery" contributions, which she teased would have a "little bit of everything".
While a hospital visit over Christmas wouldn't usually generate a smile for many, thanks to Lina, it just might.
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