Visualising relationships between the arts and health
September 23rd, 2025
New York, New York, United States
Stephen Stapleton, Kunle Adewale, Yazmany Arboleda, Nathalie Bondil, Dominic Campbell, David Cotterrell, Nils Fietje, Solkem N'Gangbet, Jahnavi Phalkey, Nisha Sajnani
This curated photo essay of 32 images explores the intersection of the arts and health through the lenses of research, engagement and expression. The photo essay was published in The Lancet in September 2025, following a launch during the Jameel Arts & Health Lab 2025 'Healing Arts Week', on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), at the Guggenheim, New York.
The Lancet
Posted byCherry Ng
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Abstract/Description
The American photographer Irving Penn (1917–2009) described a good photograph as one “that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it”. This photography feature bears eloquent testimony to the health initiatives around the world that are supported by the arts—initiatives that encompass a wide range of artistic practices and settings to promote the treatment and management of health conditions across various age groups and cultures—underscoring Penn's triple formula of communication, connection, and change.
