Denise Edwards
- Artist: Giana De Dier
- Date: 2025
- Medium: inkjet photomontage
- Dimensions: 4 1/8 in. x 2 1/2 in. (105 mm x 63 mm) overall
- Portrays: Denise Edwards
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In front of you is “Denise Edwards,” a small inkjet photomontage from 2025 that captures the nurse’s face in close‑up detail. Notice how the layered prints give depth to her features, while the subtle shading highlights the light on her eyes and the frame of her spectacles. The portrait’s tiny format—just over four inches wide—draws you into a personal moment.
Giana De Dier uses this medium to blend photograph with graphic elements, creating an image that feels both modern and intimate. You can see the careful composition: a relaxed pose, soft lighting that flatters her complexion, and a clear focus on the eyes—a window into the care she brings to patients.
The subject is Denise Edwards, a 20‑year‑old NHS nurse whose recent nine years were spent in the bowel cancer screening department. Her work helps spot the UK's fourth most common cancer early enough for life‑saving treatment. In this portrait, De Dier honours her daily dedication with a simple yet powerful image of professional calmness.
See it in person
Denise Edwards is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
