'I'm Still Me': Exhibition of Cancer Rehabilitation with Facial Prostheses

I have been involved in this project for quite some time now. The exhibition is part of Dr Rachael Jablonski's PhD which is concerned with improving facial prostheses for patients who have undergone surgery for facial cancers. My fellow artists in this group are: Sarah Morley, Alison Murdoch, Tracy Ireland and Jenny Mather. It was a privilege to be asked to paint Suzie who was the very first patient to take part in the project. She was apparently a very caring person who was always keen to help others. Very sadly, Suzie passed away at the beginning of the pandemic, so I have had to paint her posthumously referencing photographs. 
It has been both humbling and uplifting to hear about the patients' journeys (from diagnosis through treatment and the creation and wearing of their prostheses), and then to meet Robin, Tim and Rebecca at Rachael's recent lecture at the Christie Hospital, Manchester, where some of the paintings were shown. Many issues were raised including facial equality and the practical difficulties of wearing prostheses. It is difficult to find words to express the emotions felt and to explain the numerous aspects discovered during the months spent on the project.
Our faces define us. We are (rightly or wrongly) judged by the way we look. The general public can be so very cruel. What do you expect to see when you look in the mirror? 
The exhibition 'I'm Still Me' can be seen at the Bexley Wing, St James's University Hospital, Leeds in November (date to be confirmed).
Below are some photos taken at Dr Jablonski's lecture at the Christie Hospital, Manchester, featuring work by Alison Murdoch, Jenny Mather, Sarah Morley, Tracy Ireland and myself.

Patients' comments:
Robin: 'Cancer has many faces - this is mine'
Suzie: 'This is what I am, and this is what I look like'
Rebecca: 'A prosthetic arm or leg would be functional, but I can't see out of my prosthetic eye'
                 'Who is the prosthesis for? Me or the public?
Chris: 'It's my face. What's it got to do with you?
           'I had no option but to wear it. You can't hide away, and you can't go around with a big hole in              your face, or you'd scare people'
Derek: 'Being involved in research has been no hardship. I would encourage others to get involved'
            'While the processes can take some time, having a prosthesis has been life changing.
Tim: '...wearing my eye patch I get comments, especially from children, like, "Where's your parrot?"'​