the finch in his brain

This piece of work was created for the Time Art Exhibition, hosted by The Brain Tumour Charity in London from the 6 - 15 April 2023.

About the Artist

Helena Traill, 26, is the Creative Director and Founder of nooh Studio, a brand and design agency for the youth, health and wellbeing sectors. Helena's father was diagnosed with two Oligodendroglioma brain tumours over 23 years ago. Helena is a strong supporter of The Brain Tumour Charity, including completing a fundraise 113 mile cycle race in 2020.

About the piece

Helena met supporter of The Brain Tumour Charity, Martino Sclavi during her degree at Central Saint Martin's when she made an animation about his story. Her piece displayed here is based on the stop frame animation, taking the original hand painted frames and creating a collage from the discussion.

“I was lucky enough to meet Martino Sclavi (high profile supporter of The Brain Tumour Charity, friend of Russell Brand and author of The Finch In My Brain) at the beginning of 2019. I was introduced by Piers Townley, who works at The Brain Tumour Charity and has supported me with the 100 Stories Project. 

I was very excited to meet Martino, as a fellow creative and film director, who in 2011 was diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain tumour. He underwent surgery immediately in LA, soon after the diagnosis and then had a second operation back home in Rome six months later. The second surgery initially left him unable to speak, read or write. Martino relearnt his three languages and started to use technology to read text out for him. Before I met him, I found it hard to believe he couldn’t actually read. But when I went to visit him, he produced eight packets of tea and asked me to identify which of them was English Breakfast.

He was never able to read again but managed to write an entire book about his story through touch typing. What is remarkable is that his muscle memory remembered how to touch type. His book, The Finch In My Brain, explains his life before and after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. My favourite part is where he explains that, when he looked at the hole in his brain, he saw a bird, a finch, and from then onwards, he created a relationship with the bird. I cannot recommend his book enough.”

- Helena Traill

“Meeting Helena, as a young and excited director, was wonderful for me. As a film producer, with a big hole in my head, it’s often difficult to narrate effectively for interviews and conversations but our meeting threw a new light on brain tumours for us patients.”

— Martino Sclavi

This film was part of Helena’s 100 Stories project. Martino was interviewed as part of the book that was created and crowdfunded in 2019.