Art for Guernsey and Changing Faces Channel Islands have hosted a special event to celebrate faces.
The ‘My Face is a Masterpiece’ exhibition was central to last night’s event.
Art for Guernsey’s Mansell Street Gallery is currently filled with featured portraits created by local students, who were tasked with depicting individuals with facial differences to promote inclusivity and empathy.
They’ve been displayed side by side with the work of professional Photographer, and artist, Paul Chambers, in a showcase that highlights arts educational abilities.
Jono Lancaster, is an author and facial equality campaigner. He was one of the models that spent time with Paul during the creation of the exhibition and is currently in Guernsey for the Literary Festival.
He said the “personal experience” with Paul went far beyond a simple photoshoot.
“It’s not just taking a photo, anybody can just take a photo, but with Paul you have these conversations, you share stories.
“You’re laughing, you’re smiling, there’s a bit of banter, and some humour there, and then all of a sudden, you’re sitting in front of his camera, his lens, and you’re together in that moment, and he’s able to capture your soul.
“It’s not just a photo, it’s so much deeper than that, and you can see that he’s been able to have those moments with all these people, that he’s been able to capture. He’s done an amazing job.”
Pictured: Jono Lancaster next to one of his portraits, which is visible from outside the Gallery. 
Pictured: Jono Lancaster speaking to Jill Clark from Changing Faces, and Art For Guernsey’s David Ummels. 
Pictured: Jono Lancaster was given the full celebrity treatment, with requests for book signings coming in across the island. 
Pictured: Jono Lancaster gave a speech to those attending last night’s special private viewing. 
Pictured: Jono Lancaster with a member of the public, watching the rolling video display featuring the stories behind the models.
Mr Lancaster said modelling for Mr Chambers was a “healing experience”, and helps correct a historical inaccuracy.
“People throughout history have lived with visible differences, and you won’t see their photos in galleries or in history books, but now we’ve got a chance to capture them and showcase them, and it’s done an amazing job.”
“People need to accept themselves and celebrate themselves”
During Mr Lancaster’s visit to the Bailiwick he delivered a talk at the exhibition, and local schools, regarding his personal experiences with Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS), the rare genetic disorder he was born with.
He’s been campaigning and spreading awareness of TCS since 2010, has been the subject of multiple documentaries, and has written a book, ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’
When speaking to Express, he said the interactions he had with students really struck a chord with him.
“First school visit I spoke in front of over 200 students about life, and then gave them all the opportunity to ask questions afterwards, and they spoke about my face and about my life, but what they really wanted to know was my relationship with my birth family and then, what was my favourite football team? What was my favorite food? Like the important stuff.
“They understood, ‘oh, he looks different, he has Treacher Collins, okay, but we want to know the real important stuff’, and that was amazing!”
Although he was blown away by his reception in Guernsey, at the two schools, and a special Literary Festival Talk on his book, he said there’s still important work to be done.
“I think the world, at the moment, is getting better at accepting other people, but where they’re struggling still is accepting themselves,” said Mr Lancaster. “I really felt that with the students today that we met.
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality. 
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality. 
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality. 
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality. 
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality. 
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality. 
Pictured: A collection of the work submitted by local school students celebrating facial equality.
“There’s always work to be done on a big scale of accepting visible differences, but for me right now, people need to accept themselves and celebrate themselves.
“That’s what I tried to really get across with everybody that I’ve spoken to today, even during the talk this afternoon around the book, I really tried to get the adults as well to look at themselves. It’s something that we’re not very good at.”
“My time in Guernsey is going to stay with me for a long time”
For Mr Lancaster, it’s not his first visit to Guernsey, and it certainly won’t be the last. Not only did he receive a warm welcome wherever he went, he’s also picked up some local-lingo.
“Throughout the whole day I’ve spoken about how goodbyes are hard for me. I suffered a lot of rejection throughout life, and goodbyes are really hard. A lady wrote down on a piece of card, and she spoke about how in Guernsey, we don’t say goodbye, we say à la perchôine.
“She’s wrote it down on a bookmark for me, and that’s gonna stay with me for a long time. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you again, and I’ll definitely be back here in Guernsey.”
‘My Face is a Masterpiece’ will continue to showcase both the works of Mr Chambers and local students for the rest of its exhibition period.
It is open to the public at Art for Guernsey’s Mansell Street Gallery through until Saturday 9 May, although there are some ambitions to see the charitable collaboration go national.