Photography Exhibition
Just Because We Smile, Doesn’t Mean We’re Over It is a photography exhibition exploring the reality of life after baby loss – and the parts of grief that remain long after the world expects us to have moved on.
Through powerful portraits of people who have experienced miscarriage, infertility and baby loss, the exhibition challenges the assumption that grief always looks sad. These are people who laugh, smile, live, work and carry on with everyday life. But behind these smiles are stories of heartbreak, loss, longing and experiences that have changed them forever.
Baby loss and infertility are often described as silent grief. The experiences can be invisible to the outside world, deeply isolating and difficult to put into words. We learn to function. We return to work. We care for other children. We celebrate birthdays and Christmases. We laugh with friends. We make plans for the future. And sometimes, we genuinely feel happy.
But happiness does not erase grief.
This exhibition shines a light on the complicated reality of living alongside loss – the truth that you can be smiling and still be grieving; grateful and still heartbroken; moving forward without ever leaving your loss behind.
Each portrait is accompanied by the person’s own words, offering an intimate glimpse into the experiences that sit beneath the surface. Together, the photographs create a powerful reminder that there is no single way to look bereaved, and no timeline for grief.
Just Because We Smile, Doesn’t Mean We’re Over It asks us to look beyond what we can see and listen to what people are carrying.
Because sometimes the person who looks like they are doing just fine is carrying a story you know nothing about.
7th – 11th October – The Vagina Museum, 275–276 Poyser Street, London, E2 9RF
Opening hours 12pm – 7pm
Why does this matter? Because in a recent survey we found....
100%
of individuals felt their mental health was negatively affected by their experience
97%
of people felt that their friends and family struggled to know how to support them
42%
of people felt that they would be better off dead
91%
of people felt pressure from others to recover emotionally
83%
of individuals reported that they did not receive adequate support
52%
of individuals experienced the end of friendships and relationships following their experiences
Behind the Exhibition
Over the past six months, TWGGEF co-founder and photographer Bex has travelled around the country to meet some of the women in our community, photographing our Warriors and listening to their stories.
Alongside each photograph, we collected their words – the stories of what happened, what was lost, and what life has looked like since.
This project has taken Bex across the country (literally planes trains and automobiles!) but more importantly, it has brought together people with very different experiences who share one common thread: they have all had to learn how to live alongside loss.
The photographs capture far more than what is visible. They capture the person behind the experience – the laughter, strength, vulnerability, resilience and ordinary moments that continue alongside grief.
What began as an idea over a year ago has grown into a collection of portraits and stories that we are incredibly proud to share.
This exhibition belongs to our Warriors.
Their faces. Their words.
Their stories.
Leave a Little Love
If this exhibition has touched something in you, we’d love you to be part of it.
You can make a donation to help us continue creating spaces like this – spaces where baby loss is seen, spoken about and never forgotten. Every contribution, however small, helps us continue supporting bereaved parents through our community and work.
You can also choose to leave a message in memory of your baby. Add their name, a few words, or simply a message of love. These will become part of the exhibition, creating a collective tribute to the babies who are no longer here, but who will always be loved, remembered and part of their families’ stories.
Your baby mattered. Their name matters. Their story matters.
Real voices, real impact
Baby loss and infertility can feel isolating, but you’re not alone here. Hear from those who’ve found support, strength, and community with us.
“This challenge has really helped me to feel like I’ve found my tribe & the people that just get me 🥰. It’s been so much more than just training for a run ❤️.”
-Edwina, Run 10k to Raise 10k participant
‘The chat is a lifeline! Baby loss can make you feel so isolated but, connecting with others who have been there makes it that bit more bearable xx”
Warriorship drop-In support call attendee
“Just a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart. A friend gave me your book a few days after my TFMR and reading it scraped me off the emotional floor. It validated all of the contradictory emotions I was feeling and made me feel so much less alone.”
Harri, Reader of the TWGGE survival guide
“It would be no exaggeration to say this podcast has been a lifeline for me over the past couple of months and has seen me through some dark days. I’m so grateful to have found this community of women who are so funny, inspiring and knowledgeable. It makes me feel less alone.”
AshSunny87, Podcast listener
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