Powerful art exhibition to raise awareness for secondary breast cancer

Salford will become home to a captivating art exhibition that will raise awareness for secondary breast cancer.

Guests around Salford will be welcomed to the art exhibition by Virginia Bellhouse Moran at Langworthy Cornerstone.

The exhibition will be hosted from February 19 to April 1, between Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm – offering guests the chance to see Virginia’s unique experience and journey through bold and colourful artwork.

The perspective from the artist will celebrate those living with secondary breast cancer – named the colours of life, which is an inspiring collection of prints.

Virginia pursued her passion for printed textile design in Birmingham, where she developed her technique before graduating in 1982, ready to make her artistic impact on the world.

And Virginia shared her experiences, and the reason for bringing this artwork to life, as she said: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and secondary breast cancer in January 2022.

“Art has always been a big part of my life. I’ve dipped in and out of art throughout the years but when I got diagnosed, art became a really important part of my therapy.

“I have a little shed in the garden, where I started the prints, and it blocked everything else out.”

Secondary breast cancer is an incurable illness that affects over 61,000 women in the UK, and the exhibition aims to shed light on their stories, hardships, and perseverance, using art as a tool for understanding and support.

While the original artwork will not be for sale, visitors will be able to order duplicated reproductions, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to Make Seconds Count and Cancer Research UK, two organisations devoted to financing research and helping cancer patients.

Additionally, exclusive A5 original prints will be available for purchase at £10 (unframed), giving a unique way for attendees to take home a piece of this meaningful exhibition while contributing to a worthy cause.

Virginia continued: “The Colours of Life is inspired by a group of wonderful women I met through the secondary breast cancer support group run by Breast Cancer Now and the desire to raise awareness of this incurable but often treatable disease.

“Eleven of the prints represent individuals who are all living with secondary breast cancer, also known as stage 4 or metastatic breast cancer.

“About a year ago, I had this idea of doing some prints around individuals about our medication and I had just discovered gelli plate. I approached the women in the group and asked them how they would feel about sharing their information”.

Virginia mentioned that she also wanted a positive title for her exhibition and one of her friends from the secondary breast cancer support group run by Breast Cancer Now suggested the name.

She continued: “I like to show statics but in a colourful way, I love colour.

“This is more than simply raising awareness; it is about building a community of support, understanding, and advocacy for people impacted by secondary breast cancer. Every visitor helps to spread the message and make a difference.”