Phoebe Leach, Artist in Residency

This groundbreaking residency within the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh began after a chance encounter at Phoebe’s degree show with Mark Hughes, Consultant Neurosurgeon, and Ruby Marshall, lecturer in soft robotics. Drawn to Phoebe’s ability to capture movement a key aspect of their research the idea of embedding an artist in the neurosurgery department was born.

Phoebe observed her first surgery in Theatre 37 in October 2024. Over the following months, she attended weekly, witnessing nearly twenty complex operations ranging from spinal surgery to craniotomies. Some lasted hours, others an entire day, involving collaboration across multiple specialties.

The intersection of art and medicine underscores the profound human connections that define our approaches to care and creativity. I hope this project sheds light on the unseen space of the operating theatre and demystifies the experience for patients and families.”
– Phoebe Leach, Artist

Capturing Humanity in a Clinical Space

As the first artist-in-residence within the Department of Neurosurgery, Phoebe had complete creative freedom. Her work reflects the humanity, compassion, and teamwork within an exceptionally sterile environment. Through sketches and paintings created during live surgeries, Phoebe documented the multidisciplinary team and the rhythm of the operating theatre always stopping as the operation concluded, capturing fleeting moments of movement and collaboration.

Phoebe’s spontaneous and unconstrained sketches are a welcome contrast to the rigid environment of surgery. They remind us that surgery itself is often creative. Her work offers patients and the surgical team a new perspective on the surgical journey.”
– Mark Hughes, Consultant Neurosurgeon

About Phoebe

Phoebe Leach is an award-winning figurative painter and printmaker based in Edinburgh. A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art with a BA (Hons) in Painting (2024), her work explores how people experience and interpret the world, often focusing on life in unseen or overlooked spaces. Known for her ability to capture movement and human connection, Phoebe’s practice combines observational drawing with memory and emotion, creating pieces that reflect the complexity of human environments. Her innovative approach has led to collaborations across disciplines, including her pioneering residency within the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.