Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), a debilitating pregnancy illness, has gone virtually unrecognised by the medical establishment despite an estimated 30,000 pregnant women suffering from it every year in the UK. HG, and the lack of clinical care provision, has resulted in terminations and has been associated with depression leading to suicide.
The Hidden Mothers, a new exhibition at Science Gallery London by photographer Clare Hughes, is linked to a project led by King’s College London and to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which aims to ensure all Hyperemesis Gravidarum sufferers can access guideline-recommended care for the condition. The resulting research outcomes have driven impactful changes to the way in which HG is perceived and the care that women receive.
Lived Experience of HG
After experiencing HG in during her first pregnancy, Clare Hughes developed The Hidden Mothers with a group of women who had also lived with the illness. The result is a photographic exhibition, using the Victorian concept of a ‘hidden mother’ visual metaphor (a 19th century trend in infant photography which saw mothers concealed in fabric to hold their baby still for an extended period) for how its participants have felt during their pregnancies.
The replicated photographic creative act helped to distance participants from their experiences and provided a powerful cathartic perspective, while contributing to the message: we won’t be hidden anymore.
Black and white portrait photographs of each woman are also on display in the exhibition, accompanied by captions from participants sharing their experiences, ranging from dismissive behaviour from medical professionals to a severe decline in mental health, extreme dehydration, hospitalisation and PTSD.
The aim of the exhibition is to shed light on the severity of HG and promote greater awareness, prompt further research and healthcare policy adoption, so fewer women have to suffer in the future.
Exhibition by Clare Hughes, supported by King’s College London in collaboration with Professors Catherine Nelson-Piercy and Catherine Williamson, Doctor Melanie Nana and Jennifer Fraser, PhD.
The Hidden Mothers is open from 11am-6pm, Monday - Saturday, until 14 June 2025 at Science Gallery London. Free entry.
Whole-life health for mind and body at Science Gallery London
The Hidden Mothers is one of three exhibitions at Science Gallery London this summer, emerging from research and supporting the One King’s Impact priority of ‘whole-life health for mind and body’.
Lifelines: Rethinking Ageing Across Generations and The Art of Care: Medical Students Learning Through A Different Lens, are also part of the summer programme at Science Gallery London, produced and supported by King's Culture.
