A Face In Time: Facial Paralysis, A Photo Diary

Wed 2 March 2022 - Fri 22 April 2022

Museum of Classical Archaeology

Helena g Anderson is a photographer and designer based in Cambridgeshire. In March 2016, she developed Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (RHS), a condition that causes facial paralysis. Told by consultants that a full recovery was unlikely, Helena retreated within herself, struggling to come to terms with the news. “I felt empty, filled only with disbelief,” she says. Uncertain of the eventual outcome, Helena found positivity in her pain and spent the following year utilising photography to capture her journey through sadness, despair, loneliness, humour, curiosity, and ultimately joy and relief.

In this exhibition, she presents a series of thought-provoking photographs showing her journey. The contrast between the classical bodies on display here and her portraiture is a powerful one.

Helena has recovered well despite the initial prognosis. However, many of those who develop Ramsay Hunt Syndrome do not, and the condition has a lasting impact on their lives and their sense of self. Within this context, a public exhibition such as this one has real potential to raise awareness and provide recognition to those impacted by facial palsy.

Cost: Free