is this a valid expression?

[saeta]

"Among other similarities with the portraits of Buddha, there are both the children clambering John Yu’s head and shoulders and the serene expression in Doctor’s face"

Do you think it's ok, can you understand what 'im saying?

[Raymott]

"Among other similarities with the portraits of Buddha, there are both the children clambering on/over John Yu’s head and shoulders and the serene expression in Doctor’s face"

Do you think it's ok, can you understand what 'im saying?

No, it's odd. The main problem is that portraits of the Buddha do not contain "children clambering on/over John Yu’s head and shoulders and the serene expression in Doctor’s face" - unless of course you are referring to portraits that do.

[Ann1977]

"Among other similarities with the portraits of Buddha, there are both the children clambering John Yu’s head and shoulders and the serene expression in Doctor’s face"

Do you think it's ok, can you understand what 'im saying?

"Both" is misplaced.
- The sentence as it stands now says that both of the children are clambering on his head and shoulders.
- But I think the intended meaning is that both of the following are similarities: The clambering of children and the serene expression

"in Doctor's face" probably should be "on the Doctor's face"

Among the other similarities with the portraits of Buddha are the depiction of children clambering over John Yu's head and shoulders, and the serene expression on the Doctor's face.