The boring red wall has been transformed into a work of art. Els Mollen, resident of Vitalis Peppelrode care home in Eindhoven, can look at the mural from her room. “It really touches me tremendously. It’s really beautiful.”
About ten elderly people from Vitalis Peppelrode came together and made a collage from newspaper clippings of what they liked. These collages were sent to artist Marcus Debie, a.k.a. Gomad. This was to be his inspiration for a mural.
‘The poem by Toon Hermans’ De Tuin (The Garden) came up the most, so that was the biggest inspiration for my design,’ Debie says. ‘The poem is about how everything that dies starts to bloom again in nature.’
Special meaning
The first time he showed the design to the residents, one lady became very emotional, Debie said. That resident was Els Mollen. She was touched by the robins, which were on the design. In fact, they have a special meaning for her.
“My sister lived in The Hague and a robin used to patter into her house. A week after she died, a robin also came into mine. So I always say it was my sister’s robin,” Els says, as a tear rolls down her cheek.
‘Coincidence does not exist’
Debie first heard the story after presenting his design to the residents. “I chose the robin because I actually always work with nature and people. A robin seemed appropriate on the red wall. When I heard the story about the robin, it also touched me deeply.”
For Els, it’s a sign: “That it’s robins painted exactly in front of my room is huge and beautiful. Coincidence does not exist.” The artist thinks the artwork ‘worked out perfectly’. “You sometimes have murals where everything is right. This is one of those. I am immensely grateful for the kind responses from the elderly.”
Portrait
Besides the robins, there is also a beautiful portrait of a woman on the wall. The resident who sent in the photo is Everdien van Meerendonk. ‘Everyone keeps thinking it’s me on the wall, but it’s just a photo from a magazine that I liked,’ she says, laughing. It turned out beautifully and very nice that my idea was used on the wall.”
The residents of Vitalis Peppelrode are very happy with the new wall. And as far as Els is concerned, she can keep looking at the wall. “It is so beautiful. Every time I look at it…I think of the artist,” she says with a laugh.
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Source: Studio040
Translated by: Vanya
