A new wildlife photography exhibition is bringing moments of calm and reflection to patients, families and staff at Churchill Hospital this winter.
The Wild Encounter, now open at the South Street Gallery, runs from 10 January to 28 February 2026 and showcases the work of Oxford-based journalist and photographer Robert Edwards.
The exhibition features wildlife images captured across Latin America, western Scotland and southern England, offering viewers an opportunity to momentarily escape the clinical environment through encounters with the natural world.
The gallery is located close to the Oxford Cancer and Haematology Centre and the Oxford Breast Imaging Centre, an area frequently used by patients and families navigating treatment and difficult diagnoses. By situating the exhibition in this space, the project aims to provide quiet moments of relief in an otherwise emotionally demanding setting.
The exhibition was inspired by Edwards’ personal experience of supporting his mother during her cancer treatment, and by the comfort his family found in spending time outdoors during that period.
“Nature has always had a way of grounding us during hard moments,” Edwards said. “This exhibition is about bringing a sense of space, calm and connection into a hospital environment where people are often under enormous strain.”
Funding for the exhibition was raised through a successful community crowdfunding campaign, with additional support from Soroptimist International of Oxford and District. The funding enabled the professional framing and display of 40 photographic prints, with any surplus funds donated to charity.
All proceeds from print sales during the exhibition will be donated to Oxford Hospitals Charity, which supports patient care, medical research and improvements to hospital environments across Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The exhibition is hosted as part of the hospital’s arts programme, which aims to make clinical spaces more welcoming and humane through creative projects that support wellbeing for patients, visitors and staff alike.
The Wild Encounter is free to visit and open to the public throughout its run at the South Street Gallery, Churchill Hospital.
