Law firm, Fieldfisher hosted Keith Jansz’s first solo art exhibition, called “Seeing the Light”, in the firm’s London offices. Keith paints with his mouth, and is a member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA).
In June 1995, Keith had a car accident in which he became tetraplegic. He lost the use of his hands and legs, and is paralysed from the neck down. He was given a book about the MFPA, and decided to take up painting with the added challenge of painting with his mouth and not his hands.
Keith had adaptations made to enable him to hold a brush in his mouth and began to learn to paint. His perseverance paid off when in 1998 he was accepted as a Student Artist with the MFPA and as a Full Member Artist in 2000.
The opening night of his solo exhibition was a great success, with 20 pieces of work being sold. Attendees included Professor Ken Howard, Mark Field MP, and representatives from Motivation, the charity that Keith supports. Other organisations that the firm’s Personal Injury group has close links to attended, including the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), the Brain Injury Social Work Group (BISWG) and Headway, the brain injury association.
A percentage of all sales from the exhibition will be donated to Motivation, an international disability and development charity that works in low-income countries to enhance the quality of life of people with mobility disabilities.
Fieldfisher is committed to supporting the arts and hold regular exhibitions. This latest exhibition follows the Matt Lamb exhibition held at the firm’s offices late last year. Keith Jansz was introduced to Fieldfisher through Jill Greenfield, a personal injury partner who specialises in recovering compensation for those with spinal injuries.
Jill Greenfield, personal injury partner at Fieldfisher, said: “We are tremendously please to be able to host Keith’s first solo exhibition in London, and support his work.”