Glass cast of radiotherapy mask, part of Silent Stories artwork, made by Katharine Dowson c.2010

Glass cast of radiotherapy mask, number 17 [half head cast], made by Katharine Dowson c.2010. This artwork is part of Silent Stories, a series of glass sculptures cast from the moulds of radiotherapy masks made for people receiving treatment for neck and throat cancer in 2010.

Cancer is a commonly experienced disease. For many people, the emotional, physical and social consequences of being diagnosed with cancer and being treated for it, can be felt for years. Silent Stories is a series of glass sculptures created by artist Katharine Dowson, five of which are displayed at the Science Museum. This glass sculpture was cast from a plaster mould used to make a radiotherapy mask for an individual who received treatment for neck and throat cancer in 2010. This cast appears as a half head, as the original plaster mould only covered the lower half of their face.

About Silent Stories, Katharine says: ‘The glass creates the impression of suspended time, a snapshot memory of the moment. I use glass as a metaphor for the imperfection and fragility of life; the casts incidentally capture the patients’ portrait in a moment of vulnerability – echoes of which can be heard in the soundscape. To see through the glass from both sides encourages the viewer to ask questions about a person’s inner self, intensified by the intimate soundscape, where individuals describe their thoughts and feelings of then and now.’

The artist also recorded a soundscape in 2021 featuring the patients' voices, speaking about their emotions, memories of treatment and subsequent life experiences ten years after their treatment [object number 2024-753].