Chris Miller, aged 65, is a retired teacher who sustained a brain injury after having a tumour removed in 2012. ‘Art has helped me to tell my story, and to feel positive about myself,’ he says. ‘It’s provided a way to talk to my friends about what happened to me. It’s also the perfect excuse to practise using my right hand again. My pictures are part of my history. It’s created a focus for my life.’

Artwork on display at Submit to Love Studios, based at the brain injury charity Headway East London. Making Faces explores both the physical and emotional side of discovering identity, following traumatic incidents. A number of pieces, such as this one, have been worked on by a number of the artists.

‘I enjoy art. I only discovered this after my accident,’ Sam Jevon says. ‘I like being inventive and creative. I find I have a lot of concentration and patience. Before my brain injury, I could only draw matchstick people. I’m very proud of what I have achieved.’

‘You can do absolutely anything you want as long as you don’t go overboard,’ says Tony Allen. ‘You get a chance to put down things you think of and share it with everyone.’ Submit to Love studio coordinator Connie Sides says Allen’s severe memory impairment means he is always excited to see his work displayed.

Headway East London works across 13 London boroughs, offering therapies, family and community support, and a day centre. Survivors of brain injury often experience physical and cognitive changes and recovery can mean addressing difficult feelings of loss and isolation. But it can also mean the discovery of new talents and skills.

‘In my mind, art is a godsend. It’s a peaceful thing to do,’ says Errol Drysdale. Studio coordinator Connie Sides says he has been attending the charity for 18 years. ‘Errol’s self-portraits are explorations in identity and wish fulfilment, showing himself both as he is and how he would like to be. They sometimes feature his wheelchair, sometimes not, instead showing Errol the fireman, Errol the fisherman, Errol the hero of the day. There are no mobility problems in the worlds he creates for himself.’

This piece is by Zara Joan Miller, a volunteer at Headway and a brain injury survivor. The artwork featured in the exhibition poses questions about the nature of the body, and about the disjuncture between what it feels like to be someone and how that same person is seen from the outside. Accompanying the works are audio recordings of the artists talking about their inspiration.

‘I generally tend to do paintings of myself,’ Chris Miller says. ‘They’re my versions of famous pictures, with me in them, capturing my sense of humour. I’m not very good at drawing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t think about things. My Botticelli Venus picture is like saying, “It’s OK to be like me. It’s not good, but it’s OK”.’