Dr. Françoise Fermin wanted to be a sculptor when she first studied, at art school. She soon switched to medicine, but gravitated towards surgery and soon specialised in cosmetic surgery. She is regarded as one of the world's experts on the reconstruction of ears, a niche by which she came into contact with victims of the LRA in Uganda, many of who had ears amputated as a punishment or a threat. These images show her, along with her mentee Dr. Joseph Dusseldorp, working to first remove rib cartilage, then shape it into an ear, then insert that form under the skin of the skull. The cartilage is accepted by the body because it is 'of' the body, and soon the skin attaches to it and grows comfortably. The result, as seen in the final image of this series, is a realistic ear which helps its owner in the process of healing. 

These images were commissioned by Neon Magazine (FR) and accompanied an article written by Arnaud Aubry.