Since the beginning of lockdown, artist Karen Strang has been working on portraits of “Covid heroes” who were nominated by their family, friends or colleagues. Initially focusing on NHS workers, Karen’s portraits have since evolved to include care and essential retail workers, to give a fair representation of the key figures of these uncertain times. The artist creates roughly a painting per day, dedicating to it the same amount of hours that are in a key worker’s shift. The project is in continuous evolution and will be ongoing for the next few weeks, adding more faces to this necessary collection of stories from what is often the Covid unseen and parallel reality. Curated by Artlink Central, the exhibition of Karen’s work Heroes Here and Now: Caring Through Covid, will be at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, in Larbert, from early June to early September 2020. As the project evolves and more portraits are created, the exhibition will see new additions and will be updated regularly. Karen makes these portraits for free and she will donate them to the person portrayed after the exhibition.

The project in the words of artist Karen Strang

“In these unprecedented times artists are necessary to bear witness and all of us can be artists. However it is the key workers who are the most important people right now. Lockdown gave me the opportunity to reevaluate what was really important to all of us. To start on a fresh canvas. As a painter I wondered how the skills I developed over the years could be put to a positive use during this challenging time. I was initially inspired by Artist Tom Croft who initiated a call out to portrait painters to paint a portrait for an NHS hero. The portrait would pay tribute to that person and then be given to them as a gift. I signed up to this project and to my surprise immediately had a hero to paint. I then received a number of requests which I was delighted to work on.  Then I started to think, what about other key workers out there, the unsung heroes working in care homes, shops, volunteers etc. all putting themselves out on the frontline, risking their lives for the rest of us to stay safe . Local heroes, so I decided to put a call out for nominations in the Clackmannanshire area initially. I was overwhelmed by the amazing tributes that poured in. How on earth could I paint so many portraits, with the time and integrity that I could be proud enough to give these real heroes? But if my challenge and constraints were worth questioning in light of real challenge then I could do my best and as a vocation like caring there was nothing  more to decide. I would put in the hours, however long I could and keep creating.

I chose Clackmannanshire as my key location, though not entirely exclusive to this project because I grew up in the Wee County and returned there over 6 years ago to work in my studio in Alloa. I am still in lockdown as is my studio and I miss it so much. I feel great privilege, a term often misused, in being able to pay tribute to these guys. They are all amazing stars. Thank you.”

The Exhibition in the PresS