Meet two women working in an occupation that falls somewhere between art, science and medicine.
The incredibly realistic artificial eyes are made in a painstaking and precise process."There are 40 steps involved ... you have to master each of the 40 steps; the waxwork, even the painting," Ms Gelai said.
Add a second layer of clear acrylic to make the eye shine and ensure the iris appears three-dimensional."It's so tiny, there's a lot of room for error. Small mistakes are obvious."If an artificial eye is not fitted properly, it can cause infection or painful growths in the eye socket — it's something Ms Gelai and Ms James witnessed on recent trips to Africa.
During their visit they made prosthetics and trained others in the art of ocularistry, meeting patients whose eye sockets had been damaged by ill-fitted stock eyes. "It was meant to be work experience, but when we were there we just noticed how much the profession is needed there," Ms Gelai said.
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