Gold Coast Health is recognised for quality patient care, nursing and midwifery excellence and innovations in professional nursing and midwifery practice under the Magnet® Recognition Program.
"Walking together in kindness" artwork produced for Gold Coast Health by Riki Salam, We are 27 Creative.
The much‑loved Book Nook at Robina Hospital has received a fresh new look, thanks to a vibrant hand‑painted mural by local Gold Coast artist Michelle Le Plastrier, bringing renewed warmth, colour and calm to the facility.
Created and managed by the Creative Health Hub, the Book Nook has long been a favourite spot for staff, patients and visitors seeking a quiet moment to read, rest or reset.
For Michelle, the project was an opportunity to shape a small sanctuary within a clinical setting. “I really enjoy the idea of adding hand‑painted details to help people feel welcome,” she said.
“Carving out a little home for colour and vibrancy allows for a space where people can escape or rest – a quiet refuge in a busy hospital environment.”
Her inspiration came from the surrounding Robina Hospital grounds.
“The colours, patterns and symbols come from the flora around the site. By referencing familiar shapes from the local landscape, people can feel more connected to the space – it’s a way to invite the outside inside and create a garden to read, rest and recharge in.”
Michelle believes art plays a vital role in health settings.
“Art can transform and soften clinical spaces into environments that feel more human, welcoming and emotionally supportive. It contributes to the emotional architecture of a space.”
An award‑winning artist whose work spans ceramics, murals and environmental storytelling, Michelle has taught across South East Queensland, exhibited nationally, and completed an artist residency through HOTA’s inaugural ArtKeeper Program. Her recent achievements include the Environmental Art Award at the 2023 Queensland Regional Art Awards and a finalist position in the 2024 North QLD Ceramic Awards.
We are proud to feature Michelle’s work at Robina Hospital and grateful for the colour, joy and reflection it brings to our health service spaces.
Staff, patients and visitors are encouraged pop by the Book Nook to enjoy the new artwork and the refreshed sense of calm it offers.
If you’d like to explore more about arts in health or the Creative Health Hub’s projects visit the Creative Health Hub webpage.
