Deaf photographer Stephen Iliffe, who has been documenting members of the Deaf community through his community project ‘Deaf Mosaic’, is to exhibit a selection of images in an installation at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) – the series’ first display in a health setting.
First shared as an online gallery in 2020, Deaf Mosaic seeks to capture Deaf people from “all walks of life”, with Iliffe stressing the “vital message” that “with the right support, deaf people can do anything”.
42 portraits will appear at UCLH, as part of a collaboration supported by the NHS Trust’s arts and heritage team, who cite a “substantial body of evidence” that art displayed in hospitals has a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and visitors.
Iliffe, a user of UCLH audiology services for 35 years, said: “When I was growing up, it often felt as if I was the only deaf person in the world. The audiology staff were great but after my appointment I’d go straight back to the outside world with all its prejudices and barriers.
“I didn’t have any deaf adult role models for what I might aspire to when I grew up.
“I want today’s generation of deaf children and adults to have earlier access to positive role models – such as the architect Martin Glover or scientist Tamara Denner – and to feel that they too have the right to their own dreams and to be supported to achieve those.”
Other deaf individuals featured include TV chef Scott “Punk Chef” Garthwaite, Edinburgh Fringe performer Rinkoo Barpaga and actress and author Samantha Baines.
Baines, who was told she had hearing loss at the age of 29, said: “I worried that both my career and life as I knew it was over. I had never met anyone in my age group who was deaf and I felt very alone.
“Walking out of that first hearing test, it would have been a massive boost to see something like Deaf Mosaic in the waiting rooms. I’d have seen all these vibrant, multi-faceted deaf people, breaking down barriers and achieving amazing things.
“It would have meant so much to see role models – like Nadia Nadarajah, a successful actress, or Dame Evelyn Glennie, now a world-famous musician – and to see those role models straight away, rather than seek them out myself years later.”
Wanda Aleksy, UCLH’s head of auditory implants, added: “The right support at the right time can make such a difference to the lives of deaf people and their families. Stephen’s photographs are truly inspirational.”
While Deaf Mosaic has gallery exhibitions before – including one at the adult education centre City Lit last year – the UCLH partnership marks the first time Iliffe’s work has appeared inside an audiology clinic.
“It’s fantastic that UCLH saw how this would add value to their patients’ experiences. They want people not only to get a service here, but to come away feeling uplifted too,” he said.
At the end of April, images from the Deaf Mosaic collection were displayed in London’s Pancras Square – the first deaf photography exhibition for the outdoor space which was described as Iliffe’s “biggest and most prominent location yet” for the project.
The exhibition can be found on the ground floor and patient waiting areas of the UCLH Royal National ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) and Eastman Dental Hospitals site from Monday.
Images: Courtesy of Stephen Iliffe.
