A photography exhibition by an award-winning Royal Holloway academic will be displayed at West Middlesex University Hospital from 26 September to 14 October 2024, documenting the experiences of expectant families.

The powerful black-and-white photo series was captured by Dr James Clifford Kent from the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures while shadowing the team at the Queen Mary Maternity Unit.

In an uplifting full-circle moment, James returned to the unit where his daughter was born in the height of the pandemic in 2020 and spent time with Consultant Obstetrician and Labour Ward Lead, Osaeloke Osakwe, who supported his wife in the weeks before the birth of their newborn daughter.

The photographer highlights the realities of a London maternity unit and how things have changed since the pandemic.

The series offers a moving portrayal of the journey that expectant families go on and the care received from a team of healthcare professionals.

Depicting many of the moments that typically go unseen, the series captures team briefings led by consultants, to anaesthesia being administered and the moment a baby takes its first breath.

Photographs featured in the exhibition will be accompanied by short captions detailing the compassionate care provided by the team during caesarean section birth, which was the focus of this specific project.

James said of his exhibition: “As the son of an NHS nurse, I was determined to document healthcare workers’ fragility and resilience, but also the shared humanity that comes with caring for people and bringing new life into the world.

“It was a privilege to witness some of those moments and capture them with my camera.

“NHS staff respected me quietly capturing life in the unit and guided me towards details they wanted recorded. It was an incredible experience.”

Victoria Cochrane, Director of Midwifery at the Trust, said: “It is fantastic to see these powerful images highlight the reality of a maternity unit and the dedication and passion of our staff that shines through.

“Our hospital is truly a remarkable place, with a real family and community feel to it. Many of our staff were even born on the maternity unit themselves, have had family members born here or have worked here for decades.

“I look forward to seeing these incredible photographs exhibited in our maternity unit for patients and staff to enjoy in the years to come.”

Trystan Hawkins, Director of Patient Environment at CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust added: “We are thrilled to be funding James’ photography exhibition at West Middlesex Hospital, which provides an honest perspective of life on the Queen Mary Maternity Unit and the work of the incredible maternity team.

“His connection to the hospital brings a powerfully personal dimension to his work. I am delighted that images from this project will become part of our Arts in Health art collection here at CW+, the Trust’s official charity.”

Photographs from this project have featured in world-leading medical journal The Lancet and The Times.

In June 2024, James’s portrait from the series of NHS Consultant Obstetrician, Osaeloke Osakwe, was awarded the British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Humanity, an international prize showcasing the diversity of human experiences across the world.

The prints from the exhibition will become part of the charity’s extensive art collection and be displayed permanently in the Queen Mary Maternity Unit for the benefit of patients and staff.