Ayesha Jones

The Backbone

Black-and-white photograph of a person seated upright and viewed from behind. Medical tape runs along their spine, suggesting recovery, endurance, and bodily resilience.

Black-and-white photograph of a person's curved back. The lighting and shadows emphasis the sculptural form of the body.

Composite series combining four family photographs of the artist's grandmother, mother, and the artist with four images of the artist's own back. The photographs document the curve of the artist's spine resulting from idopathetic scoliosis.

Dates and Opening times: Fri 5 Jun - Sun 21 Jun

10am - 5:30pm
Venue: Street Level Photoworks, Trongate 103, G1 5HD
Participants: Ayesha Jones
Presented by: Street Level Photoworks
Supported by: In partnership with GRAIN Photography Hub and Royal Photographic Society
Accessiblity: Level Access, Step Free: The venue has ramped or level access and/or lifts to upper floors

Accessible Toilets: The venue has a wheelchair accessible toilet

Gender Neutral Toilets: The venue has toilets not separated by gender or sex

Baby Change: The venue has baby changing facilities

Bike Rack: There is cycle parking at the venue

Ayesha Jones’s The Backbone is a photographic series exploring idiopathic scoliosis as a lens to address female health more broadly. This intimate work brings together personal narratives and collective life stories, illuminating the experiences of females who have been historically marginalised in medical discourse, and includes newly commissioned writing by Pelumi Odubanjo, Natalie Mann, and Roma Bansil.

Through evocative images and intimate reflections, Ayesha shares her journey with severe scoliosis. The condition becomes a vehicle for the artist to challenge misconceptions and advocate for a comprehensive understanding of female health. The work highlights often-overlooked narratives surrounding female experiences, emphasising the importance of visibility, representation, and research in transforming healthcare and societal perceptions.

The Backbone invites viewers to engage in critical conversations about identity, health, and the power of storytelling, fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities of the female body and issuing a call to action for equitable healthcare.

Based in the West Midlands, Ayesha works predominantly with photography and film and is interested in art as a catalyst for growth, healing and social impact. The Backbone is presented in association with GRAIN Projects and the Royal Photographic Society.