Subject
The purpose and use of the megalithic sites we see remains of today have always been a mystery to us and look like they always will. This series titled 'Sacred Places' celebrates the different interpretations for their creation that have evolved over time through folklore, allegory, myth and legend in an attempt to understand their presence within the landscape.
This photo depicts Chûn Quoit near Sr. Just in Cornwall. Meaning 'house on the downs' in Cornish, it sits on picturesque moorland overlooking the sea. It is thought to have been used for tribal rituals and religious ceremonies, as from its position the setting midwinter sun is framed perfectly by a rocky hill on the horizon called Carn Kenidjack, who's name means 'hooting cairn' and stems from the sound the wind makes when passing through it.
A stone's throw away are the ruins of Chûn Castle, which is said to have been home to the giant Old Denbras the Hurler. The story goes that he was killed in a wrestling match by a local man named Tom. From his victory, Tom inherited the castle, but only on the condition that he buries the giant at his favourite seat (the quoit) on the hill looking out to sea.
Subject
I like this image because the mirror frames me and my dog yet her face is visible in the foreground which adds depth. I took this image during the Photoworks workshop and I am proud of the result!
Subject
This is an image from Bellwether Town, a project I worked on about my hometown of Basildon in Essex and the kind of lifestyle my friends and I lived on the estate we grew up on. The work talks about stigma, identity, and its relationship with space and is very personal to me.
Subject
I took this image during the Photoworks 'play' workshop, I was playing around with reflections when I took this of my Doctor Who funko pop. I think the reflection from the paperweight I used as a lens captures the atmosphere of Doctor Who which has been a significant part of my childhood and heritage.
Subject
I took this of my dog buster playing with his favourite ball! The mirror I actually bought from an antique store in Bolsover when visiting the castle.
Subject
This image is from the series, “Women from the Pakistani Diaspora”. It is a self-portrait composed in Birmingham that explores my mothers identity as an 18-year-old woman of Pakistani origin who emigrated to the United Kingdom. I have depicted these images by showcasing outfits that were worn by my mother over 35 years ago and by visiting the places that were significant to my mother’s life as a young migrant woman in Britain.
The women from the Pakistani diaspora who relocated to the UK were very often the hardworking wives, daughters, mothers and grandmothers of individuals who had migrated from cities, towns and small villages in Pakistan. These individuals came to the UK to work in key industrial sectors and set up businesses that contributed towards the healthy economy of their new-found nation. Pakistani women provided a crucial envelopment of familiarity and comfort that gave their husbands, fathers, children and grandchildren a sense of their place of origin – making it a home away from home. My self-portrait collection seeks to recognise the existence and achievements of such Pakistani women and their role as the backbone of a community that transformed inner-city Britain.
Today, British Pakistani women continue to revolutionise gender roles for other women through the determination, emotional support and encouragement of their female peer network.
Subject
The purpose and use of the megalithic sites we see remains of today have always been a mystery to us and look like they always will. This series titled 'Sacred Places' celebrates the different interpretations for their creation that have evolved over time through folklore, allegory, myth and legend in an attempt to understand their presence within the landscape.
This photo shows Mên-an-Tol near Penzance in Cornwall. Its name means 'the stone of the hole' in Cornish and the site was once a larger stone circle made up of 18-20 stones, but now this is all that remains. Holed stones have long been used in fertility rituals and it is said that if a woman passes through the stone 7 times backwards under the light of a full moon, she will soon become pregnant. The site is also said to be home to a guardian piskie capable of curing ailments such as rickets in children if they are passed through the stone 9 times naked.
Subject
This piece is called " Tower of Books". I explored the idea of sequencing and collaging through photography to tell a story. This piece shows a 10 grided photography of books stacked on top of each other, until the very end where it falls. I wanted to showcase what a person might do when they are bored and have a lot of freedom, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown, and that is why I entered this piece under the theme "play".
Subject
The purpose and use of the megalithic sites we see remains of today have always been a mystery to us and look like they always will. This image is from a series titled 'Sacred Places', that celebrates the different interpretations for their creation that have evolved over time through folklore, allegory, myth and legend, in an attempt to explain their presence within the landscape.
This photo depicts Lanyon Quoit near Madron in Cornwall. Legend has it that megalithic dolmens in Cornwall were created by Cornish giants, who threw the stones into position whilst playing a game of quoits. It is said that King Arthur ate a meal before his last battle, the Battle of Camlann, on top of these stones and that the bones of a giant were found inside the tomb.
Subject
This is an image from Bellwether Town, a project I worked on about my hometown of Basildon in Essex and the kind of lifestyle my friends and I lived on the estate we grew up on. The work talks about stigma, identity, and its relationship with space and is very personal to me.
Subject
These images are part of a wider project, entitled "Home". In it, I explore what the concept of family, community, and indeed heritage means to those in the LGBTQ+ Community. I've grown up only seeing myself and my fellow LGBT siblings portrayed only in upsetting and pessimistic imagery; black and white scenes of young people crying at the mirror, or stories of tragedy and hardships in the media. Whilst this is certainly an aspect of our reality, I am frustrated that our community isn't also shown for the vibrant, loving, accepting and supportive environment that it is. Many of us have found a real sense of family within this community, and prove that the idea of heritage and familial history isn't only defined by our blood relations, but also those who share a bond that goes beyond genetics.
In short, the mission of Home is not to make a statement about the tragedies of queer lives, present as they may be. Instead, it seeks to portray individuals grounded in their reality – that is to say, one of friendship, of solidarity, of community and of hope. Most importantly, I hope to celebrate this beautiful community's family and heritage.
Subject
This image comes from a larger body of work that explores my family's Jewish heritage. The necklace in the photograph belonged to my Great Grandmother (Elly). On the chain, there are two pendants and one ring. The heart pendant is from her parent's wedding. At the end of a Jewish wedding, it is tradition to break a glass or piece of china, to represent the fragility of life and the destruction of the temples. The china in the centre of the heart is from their breaking of the glass, on the return side has their wedding date and names. The circular pendant was a gift for her Bat Mitzvah, on the reverse it says "03.XII.1924 von Deinen Eltern" which translates to 03.XII.1924 from your elders/parents. This became the title of the work. The ring is from her second marriage (once she had arrived in the UK) to the 'presumed' father of my grandfather-- another discovery which led to more questions! The choice to photograph the necklace on a hand mannequin comes from a story Elly told my grandmother about a close encounter she had with the Gestapo before she fled Vienna leaving her parents behind, never to see them again.
Subject
A young working-class girl in hunting uniform.
Easily dismissed as a pursuit for the rich and out-of-touch, hunting in the countryside is for all. Many people take advantage of the hunt resources, networking opportunities, and community. Discounts are offered for allowing the hunt across your land, as well as invites to parties, meetings, get-togethers and dances.
At a time where farmers have the highest rate of suicide, and with a net loss of rural teens choosing to leave the countryside, how is heritage being reworked in order to benefit and engage a wider range of residents?
Subject
The main connection to his heritage my Granddad shared with me was the food of his home country of Guyana. He was poor at sharing recipes, cooking too quickly and just getting on with it or sneaking in secret ingredients. A few years after he died, my mum and I both really specifically fancied something in the style of "jungle food", as he called it, which involves fried plantain, dumplings, coconut-y sauce and often fresh fish. This image shows my mum's hands, which I share, as she peels the tough skin of the plantain, I love all the softened points and tips and the proximity we feel looking at it.
Subject
These images are part of a wider project, entitled "Home". In it, I explore what the concept of family, community, and indeed heritage means to those in the LGBTQ+ Community. I've grown up only seeing myself and my fellow LGBT siblings portrayed only in upsetting and pessimistic imagery; black and white scenes of young people crying at the mirror, or stories of tragedy and hardships in the media. Whilst this is certainly an aspect of our reality, I am frustrated that our community isn't also shown for the vibrant, loving, accepting and supportive environment that it is. Many of us have found a real sense of family within this community, and prove that the idea of heritage and familial history isn't only defined by our blood relations, but also those who share a bond that goes beyond genetics.
In short, the mission of Home is not to make a statement about the tragedies of queer lives, present as they may be. Instead, it seeks to portray individuals grounded in their reality – that is to say, one of friendship, of solidarity, of community and of hope. Most importantly, I hope to celebrate this beautiful community's family and heritage.
Subject
The purpose and use of the megalithic sites we see remains of today have always been a mystery to us and look like they always will. This series titled 'Sacred Places' celebrates the different interpretations for their creation that have evolved over time through folklore, allegory, myth and legend in an attempt to understand their presence within the landscape.
This photo shows the Merry Maidens stone circle near Penzance in Cornwall. This circle is said to be all that is left of a group of local girls who were caught dancing on the Sabbath and petrified as punishment. The two musicians who played for them heard a nearby church clock striking midnight and began to run away but were also turned to stone. They now form the two standing stones found nearby, referred to as The Pipers. The 19 stones of the circle are thought to mirror the cycle of the moon due to them gradually diminishing in size from southwest to northeast.
Subject
These images are part of a wider project, entitled "Home". In it, I explore what the concept of family, community, and indeed heritage means to those in the LGBTQ+ Community. I've grown up only seeing myself and my fellow LGBT siblings portrayed only in upsetting and pessimistic imagery; black and white scenes of young people crying at the mirror, or stories of tragedy and hardships in the media. Whilst this is certainly an aspect of our reality, I am frustrated that our community isn't also shown for the vibrant, loving, accepting and supportive environment that it is. Many of us have found a real sense of family within this community, and prove that the idea of heritage and familial history isn't only defined by our blood relations, but also those who share a bond that goes beyond genetics.
In short, the mission of Home is not to make a statement about the tragedies of queer lives, present as they may be. Instead, it seeks to portray individuals grounded in their reality – that is to say, one of friendship, of solidarity, of community and of hope. Most importantly, I hope to celebrate this beautiful community's family and heritage.
Subject
This is a photograph of my father that is White and my grandmother that is Black. My brother is the bridge that connects both family members together. Even though they're sitting next to each other there is still separation and my brother is what holds them together as one.
Subject
My family does not have many heirlooms, however we do grapple with a legacy of secrets and generational histories that are passed down, often remaining unspoken and unnamed. This image, for me, represents a questioning of the heirlooms that my family holds, and those that have been discarded. The image is of a bunch of fresh flowers which were discarded in a graveyard I visited, and it speaks to ideas of loss, of rejection, and most crucially for me, it is filled with so many unanswerable questions. Flowers are nostalgic, symbolic and often a placeholder for remembrance and memorialisation. I enjoy the blurriness of the image, where the flowers are behind a layer of plastic that changes their colour and the petals become indistinct shapes that could be anything.
Subject
This picture is trying to explain that playing is for all ages and you can come back to it at any time and have a flood of memories come back to you.
Subject
This image I selected to represent household I feel is very unique in telling my story of my family as there is slight diversity captured within one image which may lead to many questions about my household.
Subject
I love this black and white edit as it highlights her greying face and lively eyes. I also think the use of a light coloured blanket as the backdrop works well as it doesn't distract from the subject. I took this image during the Photoworks workshop and I am proud of the result!
Subject
This photo is part of a collection of photos taken on Newhaven’s castle hill in May when the White Hawthorne blossoms and it’s unctuous display entice the bees to come out and play.
In many cultures the colour white denotes the element of light, the May season to me then is the season of ‘ascending light’. Like a burst of light across the hill for a few weeks. The sun is in fact reflected on the pearlescent surface of billions of mirror-like petals.
I decided to use this opportunity in an area very near to my house to wander around and capture some of the magic that the Hawthorne brings to Castle Hill in the month of may and visit the ruins with my friend, who is the subject of these photographs.
Subject
I took this during the first Photoworks workshop on heirlooms; this image includes objects that are important to my identity and that I think would make significant heirlooms to future generations. There is also a hint at my black lives matter poster in the reflection on the guitar which is another thing that needs to not be forgotten about.
Subject
This is an image from Bellwether Town, a project I worked on about my hometown of Basildon in Essex and the kind of lifestyle my friends and I lived on the estate we grew up on. The work talks about stigma, identity, and its relationship with space and is very personal to me.
Subject
This Photograph is from my series Ex Mare Dei Gratia which is Canvey Island’s Coat of Arms, meaning ‘From the Sea, by the Grace of God.
Within this project, I look at the identity of Canvey through individuals within the community as well as the unique landscape it inhabits, influenced by tourism, industry and the surrounding sea wall which is a constant reminder of their vulnerability to tidal waters.
This is Mike Towett. I met him outside his house which lies just behind the island's sea wall. I told Mike about the project I was working on and he invited me in for a cup of tea which turned into lunch. I sat upstairs in his lounge overlooking the estuary and listened to Mike and his wife talk of their travels around the world and the stories behind their eclectic collection of art. Their house was truly a map of their life’s experiences.
Mike is 79 years old and has always lived locally, the last 49 years being on the island itself. Mike worked as an oil spill consultant for refineries along the River Thames. Living at the mouth of the Thames with an overlooking view from his balcony, the river is still very much part of his life.
Subject
This image links to play as books are a frequent source of entertainment for me. It also links to heritage because these are all LGBTQ+ books, that I have arranged as a rainbow, and they have been important to me and my identity.
Subject
We have mountains of historical and familial ephemera in the house which my Dad regularly goes through or leaves lying around for shadows to fall across. I love the flattening, condensing effect photographing can have on a subject and, here, the light helps frame and form this composite scenes.
Subject
This is an image from Bellwether Town, a project I worked on about my hometown of Basildon in Essex and the kind of lifestyle my friends and I lived on the estate we grew up on. The work talks about stigma, identity, and its relationship with space and is very personal to me.
Subject
A few years ago I borrowed some studio lightening from my mums friend and set up a home studio to photograph dogs from the neighbourhood. This is my own dog Tom, he was a willing subject. He is a big part of my life, we bought him as a family whilst living in India and he travelled back with us to the UK and is now part of the history of my life. He will be 9 in November. The Labrador breed in Britain dates back to at least the 1830s, when it was first introduced from ships trading between the Labrador region of Canada and Poole in Dorsetshire. Its early patrons included the Earl of Malmesbury, the Duke of Buccleuch, the Earl of Home, and Sir John Scott.
Subject
This image is part of “The Trevor Berry Archive”. I’m a photographer and the curator of the archive project featuring transparent slide mount images. Trevor Berry is the grandfather of my two half-sisters, he passed away before my birth; however his wife performed a role in my upbringing. Through collaboration and dialogue, I used oral history with Joyce Berry to unearth the legacies of their family life and the context behind the images.
Subject
This image is from the series, “Women from the Pakistani Diaspora”. It is a self-portrait composed in Birmingham that explores my mothers identity as an 18-year-old woman of Pakistani origin who emigrated to the United Kingdom. I have depicted these images by showcasing outfits that were worn by my mother over 35 years ago and by visiting the places that were significant to my mother’s life as a young migrant woman in Britain.
The women from the Pakistani diaspora who relocated to the UK were very often the hardworking wives, daughters, mothers and grandmothers of individuals who had migrated from cities, towns and small villages in Pakistan. These individuals came to the UK to work in key industrial sectors and set up businesses that contributed towards the healthy economy of their new-found nation. Pakistani women provided a crucial envelopment of familiarity and comfort that gave their husbands, fathers, children and grandchildren a sense of their place of origin – making it a home away from home. My self-portrait collection seeks to recognise the existence and achievements of such Pakistani women and their role as the backbone of a community that transformed inner-city Britain.
Today, British Pakistani women continue to revolutionise gender roles for other women through the determination, emotional support and encouragement of their female peer network.
Subject
I want to explore the untold stories and heritage of Africans, to see that it's not only about slavery but the rich culture we have as a continent.
Subject
I love photographing my staffy, her brindle fur and greying face add texture to the image and her eyes and big ears add personality. I took this image during the Photoworks workshop and I am proud of the result despite her not wanting to sit still!
Subject
My image is of me and my mother. It's my untold story of my family as part of a wider project which is ongoing. I am a convert to Islam and I feel this image truly shows the contrast of who we are, who I used to be and who I am now. I am the second oldest of 7 of us with 2 different dads, my mum always told me I was the "odd borne" the "black sheep of the family" and now I truly feel I do not quite fit in with them, my mum's dad is a Romany Gypsy so it was a shock to them all they don't fully understand me now but I feel they never did anyway.
Subject
For my practice as a photographer, I have been appropriating my old family photographs through manipulation and digital editing. I have been researching into my ancestry/genealogy as culture and identity are huge factors that contribute to my practice. The image I have chosen to submit is of my grand-uncle with his parents, I have also been experimenting with the idea that the back of a photograph holds value and an untold history, I've been layering and merging these images to tell a story of a past time so personal and important to myself. My great-grandparents were a part of the Windrush generation and I find great pride in them as individuals, the lives they lead are the stories of tomorrow.
Subject
“We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children.” - Native American Proverb.
These images are from my project entitled Finite. It looks at the human impact on the environment and the world we are creating. In response to the climate crisis, I wanted to produce work that highlighted the impact of our 21st-century society. I visited Iceland to photograph the disappearing landscape and the glacier tongues of vatnajökull. Some of which will be completely gone in my lifetime. I wanted to document the beautiful and fragile glacier to keep a record of what once was, as well as show people the irreversible damage that is being done. Another impact to the earth is again our use of crude oil which takes its form as plastic. Polluting our oceans and suffocating marine life. I photographed plastic bags to create these deep-sea creatures to give a glimpse into the perhaps not so distant future where our pollution has now integrated into a living organism. I juxtaposed images of a world that is cracking and crumbling with a vision of what we are leaving for future generations.
Subject
I think this is a good image for the Untold Heritage category. We noticed these large black and white-tipped stumps at the lock gates in Sawley, they were around 40cm high and would make a comfortable seating stool. They looked like they had been there for a hundred years or more, and when I noticed them, I wondered what they were and what have they been used for. We decided to ask the Canal and River Trust volunteer lock keeper, he told us they were mooring pins for large working vessels that used to pass through with goods, heading for the Shardlow Basin. The marks we could see on them like chips were where the ropes had once been tied. The lock is 16ft wide, so it saw some pretty big boats 100 years ago, whereas today the leisure boats are a lot smaller, which is why these gigantic mooring pins are no longer used.
I think these pins are part of our heritage untold, but part of their history has now been told to us and this is why I have decided to submit this as an entry. I chose this image because the stump sits in the background and this is how it lives, it's part of the history of the lock, but I suspect many people pass by it every day and do not notice it's existence or question why it is there.
Subject
This is an image of a peacock made out of leaves and flowers laid out on the floor (called a pookalam) in order to celebrate a South Indian festival called Onam. We usually use flower petals but this year we went around our neighborhood and collected a few leaves and flowers to make a colorful flower mat to signify the return of Mahabali and the prosperity of the harvest season. This ancient legend has been celebrated from generation to generation of the people of Kerala from all over the world.
Subject
These images are part of a wider project, entitled "Home". In it, I explore what the concept of family, community, and indeed heritage means to those in the LGBTQ+ Community. I've grown up only seeing myself and my fellow LGBT siblings portrayed only in upsetting and pessimistic imagery; black and white scenes of young people crying at the mirror, or stories of tragedy and hardships in the media. Whilst this is certainly an aspect of our reality, I am frustrated that our community isn't also shown for the vibrant, loving, accepting and supportive environment that it is. Many of us have found a real sense of family within this community, and prove that the idea of heritage and familial history isn't only defined by our blood relations, but also those who share a bond that goes beyond genetics.
In short, the mission of Home is not to make a statement about the tragedies of queer lives, present as they may be. Instead, it seeks to portray individuals grounded in their reality – that is to say, one of friendship, of solidarity, of community and of hope. Most importantly, I hope to celebrate this beautiful community's family and heritage.
Subject
This is my favourite photo with my dad and sister at a butterfly exhibition. Growing up, I wasn't close with my dad as he travels around Asia for work and my sister was always living in her own world. Hence, I always keep this photograph as a bookmark in my notebook wherever I travel, especially when I have moved to London for further studies, to keep them around me.
Subject
Taken in a suburban car boot sale early on a Sunday morning. There is something so vulnerable and intimate about seeing all of someone’s stuff. Becoming a witness to their obsessions, collections, achievements, archives. Personal objects are like emblems of a life, and they’re unceremoniously disclosed on a plastic table or white sheet. (This image is taken from a longer series archiving car boot sales during 2020 in the wake of lockdown).
Subject
Hide and Seek - Haunted version.
The catcher have to hide under the cloth while counting down, and walk around with it in the dark when the time is up.
It is one of my favourite childhood game as it is very thrilling for both the catcher and the hiders.
Subject
My images are about what I and my friends do for fun. We play but as adults. This comes with a few benefits like being able to drive and not having to ask for permission to leave the house. Therefore we take full advantage of our age!
The photos I am sharing follow our day of exploring and riding. We walked, sat, talked and road all along the hilly cliffs of Compton, Isle of Wight.
Subject
“We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children.” - Native American Proverb.
These images are from my project entitled Finite. It looks at the human impact on the environment and the world we are creating. In response to the climate crisis I wanted to produce work that highlighted the impact of our 21st-century society. I visited Iceland to photograph the disappearing landscape and the glacier tongues of vatnajökull. Some of which will be completely gone in my lifetime. I wanted to document the beautiful and fragile glacier to keep a record of what once was, as well as show people the irreversible damage that is being done. Another impact to the earth is again our use of crude oil which takes its form as plastic. Polluting our oceans and suffocating marine life. I photographed plastic bags to create these deep-sea creatures to give a glimpse into the perhaps not so distant future where our pollution has now integrated into a living organism. I juxtaposed images of a world that is cracking and crumbling with a vision of what we are leaving for future generations.
Subject
Taken at Rufford Abbey on the grounds of the site! I thought this little guy was so striking with the bright orange with the black contrast! Crazy how something so small can be created which so beautiful.
Subject
This image I took with my camera at home right before travelling to Rome in 2018.
The cross is mine and the blurry picture baby me but the red Pompeii and underneath Naples postcard were my grandad's that he got from travelling with the navy and gave to me because I have a real passion for history (particularly English and Italian). I loved Rome and the city was beautiful but I really hope to go to Pompeii and Florence as my next stops!
Subject
This year has been rather stressful, but when I look at this portrait of my Nani, a sense of calmness takes over me and I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have a healthy family throughout this pandemic.
Subject
These images are part of a wider project, entitled "Home". In it, I explore what the concept of family, community, and indeed heritage means to those in the LGBTQ+ Community. I've grown up only seeing myself and my fellow LGBT siblings portrayed only in upsetting and pessimistic imagery; black and white scenes of young people crying at the mirror, or stories of tragedy and hardships in the media. Whilst this is certainly an aspect of our reality, I am frustrated that our community isn't also shown for the vibrant, loving, accepting and supportive environment that it is. Many of us have found a real sense of family within this community, and prove that the idea of heritage and familial history isn't only defined by our blood relations, but also those who share a bond that goes beyond genetics.
In short, the mission of Home is not to make a statement about the tragedies of queer lives, present as they may be. Instead, it seeks to portray individuals grounded in their reality – that is to say, one of friendship, of solidarity, of community and of hope. Most importantly, I hope to celebrate this beautiful community's family and heritage.
Subject
This is my sister, who when she was little used to say she was ‘half-Liverpool, half-India‘ about her heritage. Although we live in London, my Dad’s Liverpool heritage is important to us. We go back to visit my Nana and enjoy being by the water and looking at the sunset.
Subject
This image links to play as books are a frequent source of entertainment for me. It also links to heritage because these are all LGBTQ+ books, that I have arranged in a rainbow, and they have been important to me and my identity. For this image, I also included a few other objects that link to the expression of pride and I really like the composition.
Subject
I wanted to explore the idea of play through imagination - the model may be sitting on a stool in front of a camera in real life, but in her mind, she is dreaming of being in a fairytale.
Subject
The London borough of Waltham Forest has become home to a sizeable Pakistani community over the last 75 years. With such a sizeable epoch harbouring the growth of a specific community, many stories of struggle, readjustment and triumph have been whispered between the lips of those who pride themselves as community members. These stories have been audible at the volume merely a whisper for an overwhelming portion of the period which contains their utterance…until now. The community within the borough is ever prospering and I take great pride in seeing how well my community has integrated with the principles of Britishness whilst managing to preserve their roots from erosion. More specifically, the Pakistani women from this borough, like myself, are thriving better than ever before in our history and my portrayal of them shines a light on the self-confidence of the intelligent, courageous and beautiful individuals whose positivity will continue to enhance the development of their community for years to come.
Photographed: Nosheen
Subject
I love photographing my staffy, her brindle fur and greying face add texture to the image and even though she's a dog she still has a clear expression on her face. I took this image during the Photoworks workshop and I am proud of the result despite her not wanting to sit still!
Subject
This image links to play as books are a frequent source of entertainment for me. It also links to heritage because these are all LGBTQ+ books, that I have arranged in a rainbow, and they have been important to me and my identity.
Subject
This image is from the series, “Women from the Pakistani Diaspora”. It is a self-portrait composed in Birmingham that explores my mothers identity as an 18-year-old woman of Pakistani origin who emigrated to the United Kingdom. I have depicted these images by showcasing outfits that were worn by my mother over 35 years ago and by visiting the places that were significant to my mother’s life as a young migrant woman in Britain.
The women from the Pakistani diaspora who relocated to the UK were very often the hardworking wives, daughters, mothers and grandmothers of individuals who had migrated from cities, towns and small villages in Pakistan. These individuals came to the UK to work in key industrial sectors and set up businesses that contributed towards the healthy economy of their new-found nation. Pakistani women provided a crucial envelopment of familiarity and comfort that gave their husbands, fathers, children and grandchildren a sense of their place of origin – making it a home away from home. My self-portrait collection seeks to recognise the existence and achievements of such Pakistani women and their role as the backbone of a community that transformed inner-city Britain.
Today, British Pakistani women continue to revolutionise gender roles for other women through the determination, emotional support and encouragement of their female peer network.
Subject
‘It must be somewhere here’ is a year-long survey of the Northern deep coal-mining landscape. As the granddaughter of two miners, it acts as both a geographical study and inquiry into ancestry. A departure to colour depicts former colliery sites which have been visually affected by the chemical aftermath of deep coal-mining. Unnaturally high levels of manganese in still-draining mine-water stains rocks orange, and the erosion of cliff formations reveals materials from a colliery landfill. I record various places of memorial and colliery remains. Through ‘slow’ large format photography, and the photopolymer gravure, I create works in which time cannot be specified, where the process is elongated as much as possible, commenting on manual labour, materiality and the ritual of returning home to walk in the empty industrial lands where man once laid his hand.
Subject
“We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children.” - Native American Proverb.
These images are from my project entitled Finite. It looks at the human impact on the environment and the world we are creating. In response to the climate crisis I wanted to produce work that highlighted the impact of our 21st-century society. I visited Iceland to photograph the disappearing landscape and the glacier tongues of vatnajökull. Some of which will be completely gone in my lifetime. I wanted to document the beautiful and fragile glacier to keep a record of what once was, as well as show people the irreversible damage that is being done. Another impact to the earth is again our use of crude oil which takes its form as plastic. Polluting our oceans and suffocating marine life. I photographed plastic bags to create these deep-sea creatures to give a glimpse into the perhaps not so distant future where our pollution has now integrated into a living organism. I juxtaposed images of a world that is cracking and crumbling with a vision of what we are leaving for future generations.
Subject
I took this image during my documentary shoot of COVID 19 in the time of lockdown so that in time I can share my experience aided by the photos I took.
Subject
‘It must be somewhere here’ is a year-long survey of the Northern deep coal-mining landscape. As the granddaughter of two miners, it acts as both a geographical study and inquiry into ancestry. A departure to colour depicts former colliery sites which have been visually affected by the chemical aftermath of deep coal-mining. Unnaturally high levels of manganese in still-draining mine-water stains rocks orange, and the erosion of cliff formations reveals materials from a colliery landfill. I record various places of memorial and colliery remains. Through ‘slow’ large format photography, and the photopolymer gravure, I create works in which time cannot be specified, where the process is elongated as much as possible, commenting on manual labour, materiality and the ritual of returning home to walk in the empty industrial lands where man once laid his hand.
Subject
I have chosen the theme of 'play'. This piece is based on our generation now, with their obsessive nature with technology and how sometimes they know more than the adults! I wanted to portray this theme through an outsider's perspective, looking at a child being engrossed in the life of social media.
