Oxfordshire-based artist Ruth has paid tribute to the surgeon who treated her breast cancer by painting his portrait. The painting of Mr Gerald Gui now hangs in the main staircase at The Royal Marsden.
When Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, aged 49, she chose to be treated at The Royal Marsden and was referred to Consultant Breast Surgeon, Mr Gerald Gui.
She underwent successful surgery and radiotherapy, which were completed in March 2013. "I still have my regular mammograms and check-ups, but I have been cancer-free for 15 years," says Ruth.
More than a decade on, she has expressed her gratitude to the surgeon who supported her through her cancer journey by painting his portrait.
Inspired by personal experience
In September 2024, Ruth began working with fellow artist Paul Starns on a series of portraits exploring the experiences of people whose lives have been affected by breast cancer.
The pair, who both studied at the Art Academy in London, painted 16 people who had experienced breast cancer themselves, or had been closely connected to someone who had.
“The inspiration came from the artist Colin Davidson and his Silent Testimony exhibition,” remembers Ruth. “We decided to do something on cancer because Paul had had lymphoma in his teens and I'd had breast cancer quite recently.”
In January 2025, Ruth contacted Mr Gui to ask whether he would take part.
“Painting Mr Gui was fantastic because I got to know him better,” says Ruth. “I feel like I know him in a slightly different way.
“One of the things I love about painting people and portraits is that you meet these people. Sometimes they can just be a face at the beginning, and by the time you’ve finished painting them, they’re usually a friend and someone who has quite an important place in your life. There’s a bond that forms between you, which is amazing.”
To create the portrait, Ruth travelled to London several times to meet Mr Gui and take photographs.
The finished portrait was originally created for an exhibition at the Art Academy in October 2025, exploring experiences of breast cancer. It has since found a home at The Royal Marsden, where it currently hangs on the main staircase.
Indebted to Mr Gui
Ruth remembers the kindness Mr Gui had showed her shortly after she was diagnosed.
“For a while, I had been in a complete state of anxiety and stress, not knowing what was going on,” she says. “Mr Gui was so kind and reassuring, which was wonderful. He talked to me only! We talked about everything very openly, and he just made it all seem so clear.”
"I'm indebted to Mr Gui not only for everything he has done for me, but for women everywhere, and the many, many lives that have been saved."
"He is just a caring man who wants to help as many people as possible in the best possible way. He really wants to improve the breast cancer field and is just amazingly good at his job!"
"A privilege and an honour"
Mr Gui, who celebrates 30 years working at The Royal Marsden this year, felt privileged to be part of the project:
"Being painted by Ruth, whom I had the privilege of supporting during her cancer journey, was a very special and memorable moment in my career."
“I was very touched to firstly be asked by Ruth and also that I was a suitable subject, worthy of being painted. To be a part of her exhibition and now to have my portrait on the wall of The Royal Marsden is both a privilege and an honour.
“It is funny seeing yourself in a mirror that’s not a mirror, but overall it has been a real positive experience. Seeing myself up there was very surreal at first, but Ruth has done a magnificent job and I’m slowly getting used to seeing myself on canvas.”
