The Backbone

The Backbone is a long-term photographic project exploring idiopathic scoliosis as a lens through which to examine the historical neglect of female bodies in medical research and healthcare.

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Diagnosed with severe scoliosis as a child, artist Ayesha Jones underwent spinal surgery as a teenager. While scoliosis disproportionately affects girls, the condition remains poorly understood, reflecting a broader pattern within medicine in which female bodies have often been under-researched, misinterpreted, or excluded altogether.

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Through photography, personal narrative and newly commissioned writing, The Backbone weaves together Jones’ own experience with the voices of other women living with scoliosis and related health conditions. The work moves between portraiture, documentary imagery and intimate reflections to explore the physical, emotional and social realities of living in a body shaped by medical intervention.

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At its core, the project asks how medical knowledge is produced, whose bodies are studied, and whose experiences are overlooked. By bringing together individual stories and visual testimony, The Backbone seeks to make visible the lived experiences that are often absent from medical discourse.

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The project contributes to growing conversations around women’s health, embodiment and care, highlighting the importance of representation, research and listening to lived experience in reshaping how female bodies are understood.

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The Backbone is published by GRAIN Projects and designed by Chris Neophytou (Out of Place Books). The project has been supported by Arts Council England and GRAIN Projects.