Marysa Dowling, Ellen & Marysa, WhatWeCarry
Pain is invisible—frequently misunderstood, uniquely experienced and difficult to verbalise. Even healthcare professionals struggle to grasp its true impact, as reducing pain to a numerical scale fails to capture how it fractures daily life, relationships and identity. My project makes pain visible through artistic expression, revealing personal realities that clinical assessments struggle to access.
Over the last 18 months, I have worked with participants who live with Chronic Pain. Through photography, writing, mark-making and storytelling, the collaborative creative process becomes both therapeutic and clarifying. Participants find ways to express what was previously trapped within their bodies. At its heart, this work addresses a basic human need: to be seen, understood and believed.
Since 2023, I have collaborated with Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, the Chronic Pain Neurotechnology Network and individuals living with chronic pain. I listen empathetically to understand each person’s unique truth before offering creative processes that help them express their pain authentically. Visual themes are tailored to each person’s circumstances.
Marysa Dowling
What We Carry: Living with Pain
John Radcliffe Hospital
Headley Way, Headington,
Oxford,
OX3 9DU
25 October–
6 December
Artists Talk:
7 November
The exhibition programme is shown as part of the artlink hospital arts programme funded by Oxford Hospitals Charity
Access information: Wheelchair accessible
How to get there: The exhibition is shown in the Corridor Gallery, in the main entrance corridor of the John Radcliffe Hospital. Head towards the League of Friends cafe and the gallery is on the left hand side.