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

Glass cast of radiotherapy mask, number 22, 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 in the Medicine Galleries. This glass sculpture was cast from a plaster mould used to make a radiotherapy mask for a patient who received treatment for neck and throat cancer in 2010.

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].