On Friday 10^th July 2026 Institute of Mental Health (IMH) Director, Professor Martin Orrell, was kindly presented with a painting entitled "Two Figures" by Professor Mounir Ekdawi (1930–2023). The artist’s daughters, Amanda and Sarah, visited the IMH to formally hand over the artwork to Martin.

Professor Ekdawi was a distinguished artist as well as a consultant psychiatrist specialising in rehabilitation at Netherne Hospital, Surrey. He was widely recognised as a visionary in community mental health reform. The donated painting was part of an exhibition titled "The Art of a Psychiatrist: Mindscapes," currently on display at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Sarah Ekdawi plans to travel to Denmark and the Netherlands to donate more of her father’s art.

Professor Ekdawi retired from psychiatric practice in 1993 and continued to exhibit his work as a solo artist for over two decades. His earlier paintings often featured family members, with his daughters recalling that they were quite reluctant sitters in childhood. His later works were inspired by old family photographs, memories, or his imagination, though his passion for art remained strong throughout his life.

A renowned psychiatrist and Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Professor Ekdawi was a pioneer in psychiatric rehabilitation. He co-authored the book *Psychiatric Rehabilitation* with Alison Conning and was a proponent of art therapy. In the spring or early summer of 1953, Mounir left Egypt initially to pursue further medical training. He re-registered his medical qualifications at the University of Edinburgh, worked at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, and subsequently returned to Edinburgh, where he specialised in Psychiatry at the Royal Infirmary.

Explore 'Mindscapes', The Art of Mounir Ekdawi