World Homeless Day 2019

Josi Zane, Fundraising and Communications Officer writes:

To mark World Homelessness Day, I met the artist of these beautifully intricate drawings to find out the story behind them.

The artist tells me that he wants to highlight “how everything has a value” which is an incredibly poignant message. What one person might instantly discard as a disused item is, although unfathomable to most, an invaluable source of comfort and a place to rest for another.

We discussed the concept of a “belvedere” which put plainly refers to a simple structure. When contrasted with the absence of a roof in the “home” and “bedsit”  in the series of drawings, a “belvedere”  represents for the imagined rough sleeper a level of warmth, freedom from dampness,  protection and dignity. 

“Bedsit” portrays the reality of sleeping rough; physically amongst rubbish and is evocative of the vulnerability of rough sleepers; exposed and without protection.

Much like the artist’s attempt to challenge our preconceptions of homelessness, we at New Hope  help individuals challenge their own conceptions of themselves and to-build self-worth and confidence, irrespective of circumstance and past.

Many thanks to the artist for permission to share his drawings and for sharing his thinking behind them with me.

These drawings are currently being displayed at One Festival of Homeless Art and will be exhibited at Watford Museum in 2020 as part of New Hope’s 30th birthday celebrations.