Saving face

As partnerships go, the collaboration between Glasgow artist Mark Gilbert and surgeon Iain Hutchison is pretty unusual.During a residency at Barts and the London trust, Mr Gilbert painted patients undergoing facial surgery for cancer or deformity, and patients who had suffered facial injuries from car crashes, shotgun wounds or assault.The portraits reflect the patients'physical appearance, before, after and, occasionally, during corrective surgery.

Patients taking part in the Saving Faces project include Mazeeda, aged three, from Hackney, who had a tumour the size of a cricket ball removed from her cheek (right) and barrister Henry de Lotbiniere, who has undergone 15 operations in 13 years to arrest the spread of salivary gland cancer which has lost him an eye and all the bones on the left side of his face and head (bottom right).

National Portrait Gallery from 27 February- 21 April 21. Entry free.