Memories Carried at Palestine House

Images from my project Brexiters were part of a fundraiser at Palestine House May 8, 2025, raising funds for human rights and humanitarian charities working in Palestine.

After touring in the UK and Europe throughout winter 2024, the Memories Carried international campaign and touring exhibition finally came to London supporting:

· Al-Haq

· Al-Mezan

· Health Workers for Palestine

· Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund

Memories Carried is an Art Forward in collaboration with Amnesty International UK.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS:

Cherry Adam, Belal Adnan, Koutaiba Al Janabi, Ahmad Badarne, Mohamed Badarne, The Bearded Skot, Dan Burwood, JC Candanedo, Julio Etchart, David Hall, Zeina Idris, Eylem Fidan, Roxy Herve, Zeina Idris, Dalia Jacobs, Liron Leibu, Andy Martin, Yamam Nabeel, Julia Neal, Zisis Ntalakouras, Ishtar Obaid, Matt Payne, Celia Peterson, Viktor Shekularatz, Mauricio Sierra, Hanif Shoaei, Hareth Yousef, Ahmed Zarrouki and Fraser Harban.

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It Happened Here

“It Happened Here” was a participatory performance project designed by Gustavo Dias-Vallejo where residents of Kentish Town were invited to recall meaningful events in their lives that happened in specific places in the area.

I took portraits of the participants as they guided us through a collective walk where they shared their stories.

The portraits were exhibited as part of the 40th anniversary celebration of Torriano Meeting House.

Torriano Meeting House is a user-funded grass-roots volunteer-run arts and community organisation in Kentish Town. It is a meeting place for the arts and the community.

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Finding Our (Creative) Voice

Over the month of April, I took part on Kakilang Arts ‘Finding Our (Creative) Voice’ workshop at Shoreditch Town Hall.

The workshop was aimed at helping artists to discover their creative voice through inspiring sessions exploring the art of storytelling in whatever medium participants chose.

Acclaimed writer, performer and filmmaker Daniel York Loh and interdisciplinary artist Rebecca Goh guided participants to discover our stories and then explore how to tell them.

I developed a performance piece that explores the experience of queer Latin Americans in the UK when we use the NHS Sexual Health services. Can’t wait to share it with you all!

Kakilang (自己人), meaning ‘one of us’ in the Hokkien dialect, produces and presents world-class interdisciplinary art from a wide spectrum of Southeast and East Asian voices. Kakilang represents people coming together through art, championing diverse voices and shared experiences.

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1200 Years of Queer ARTivisim

On March 19, 2025, I gave a talk on "1200 Years of Queer ARTivisim” for The Westminster LGBT+ Forum exploring the lives of some of the artists who throughout history paved the way for queer rights activism.

From the courts of Baghdad, to rural Costa Rica, to the Channel Islands, I took the audience on a journey through time discovering queer artists who openly defied the status quo and claimed their place in history.

The Westminster LGBT+ Forum welcomes all members and allies of the LGBT+ community who live, work, play, visit, or simply love Westminster.

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Exhibition in Margate

As a founding member of the Quiet Storms Collective, I’m excited to announce that our first exhibition will take place at Joseph Wales Studio in Margate from August 15 to 26, 2024. Open daily from 12 to 5 pm. All welcome!

Unearthed is an interdisciplinary exhibition by Quiet Storms Collective that brings together a group of local and international contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines who use visual storytelling to question power structures, embody inner-worlds and memories, and reclaim liminal and wondrous spaces.

Featuring painting, photography, mixed-media and sculpture, artists in the exhibition include: Fiona Stewart, JC Candanedo, Jo Mason, Josie McCoy, Kristin Rawcliffe, Laura Hope, Lisa Snook, Sheila MacNeill and Sinead McKillican.

Quiet Storms Collective is a group of contemporary artists transcending borders who are bound by their exploration of untold personal and collective stories. Whether it be stories of land and peoples, or myth and magic, their exceptional talents reveal unspoken emotions that hide on the threshold of strength and vulnerability.

In this exhibition, the artists individually explore echoes of unearthed stories, each in their own way, to capture subversive narratives on a journey towards empowerment, resilience, and positive transformation unravelling power and place. In doing so, they confront the duality of journeying through inner-worlds while rebelling against established structures of power.

Unearthed offers an exclusive insight into their visual language and an opportunity to experience the fusion of their distinct styles.

Exhibition Info

Unearthed

Date: 15 - 26 August, 2024

Location: Joseph Wales Studio, 2a Dane Hill, Margate, Kent CT9 1QP

Tickets: Free entry

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Exhibition At The Barbican Library

From 5th to 29th July, at the Barbican Library, the 'Shifting Narratives' exhibition will be showcasing the 'Decolonising Fashion and Textiles' project outputs curated by Camilla Palestra.

Over the past two years, I've been collaborating with researchers from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion on a project 'aimed at challenging the status quo and empowering refugee and asylum-seeking participants to build connections and voice their concerns for our collective uncertain future, while advocating for positive policy change.' - Dr Francesco Mazzarella and Dr Seher Mirza.

CSF researchers Dr Francesco Mazzarella and Dr Seher Mirza reflect on the 'Decolonising Fashion and Textiles' research project, explore valuable insights and share their new policy paper and petition. ⁠

Also on show, the series of portraits that I took in collaboration with Lucy Orta for the "Lifeline Activation" in the hopes to shift the mainstream narrative that negatively affects individuals and families seeking refuge and asylum in the UK and advocating for a more compassionate future.

You are invited to the exhibition's free public programme which includes guided exhibition tours, workshops and an in-person and online symposium.⁠

🔗 Click here to learn more and book your free tickets! 🎟️⁠

Exhibition Info

Shifting Narratives

Date: 5 - 29 July, 2024

Location: Barbican Library, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Tickets: Free entry

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DOCUMENT NOW: No Borders - Group Show

I'm excited to announce that I'm taking part in DOCUMENT NOW: NO BORDERS, an exhibition at the Royal Society of Arts from June 18-21, 2024. This group show invites global photographers to share stories of migration and identity, investigating community and culture in a world of rapid globalisation.

In this group show, I will be showing some of the photo-textile artefacts from my series Pro Mundi Beneficio alongside my video performance piece entitled This Is (From) America. In Pro Mundi Beneficio, I tell the stories of the plants endemic to the American continent that have greatly benefited the economies of other parts of the world, but that have also been influential in the creation of new cultural identities around the globe. This series is named after the motto on the coat of arms of the Republic of Panama and is Latin for “For the Benefit of the World.”

On Friday 21st, and in commemoration of Pride month, I will be premiering my latest video performance piece entitled People Like Me, a 5-minute short film in which I explore homophobia, conversion therapy and familial relations. The presentation of the short film will be followed by a Q&A and an opportunity to view the DOCUMENT NOW: NO BORDERS exhibition with the artists.

Group show

Document NOW: No Borders

Date: 18 - 21 June, 2024

Opening Times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9am-8.30pm

Location: RSA House, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ

Private View

Date: 18 June, 2024

Time: 6 pm - 8 pm

RSVP: on this link.

Film Screening and Q&A

Date: 21 June, 2024 Postponed. New dates TBC

Time: 7 pm - 9:30 pm

Tickets: £5 donation on this link. All proceeds go to Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Exhibiting artists:

Hajar ALMUTAIRI

JC CANDANEDO

Christian CROSS

Julio ETCHART

Fatma FAHMY

Rollie D. HOLEY

Yamam NABEEL

Curated by Andrew Etherington

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2022 - A Year In Review

2022… you’ve been intense! This past year has truly been a whirlwind of activity. From working on artistic and socially-conscious projects to running workshops exploring everything from project management to the nuances of human identity. Over the last 12 months, my practice truly went beyond the camera and I feel like I have used my work to create a space for dialogue and exploration, opening up conversations about the power of art and photography in activism.

For the year to come, I hope that I can continue engaging with audiences and communities working on thought-provoking and meaningful projects. When it comes to my art, I believe that it is my responsibility to use it as a platform to promote social transformation and bring positive and lasting change to the world.

Here are the hightlights of 2022:

I’m one of the mentors of the Beyond Barriers mentoring scheme at Kingston University.

This was my fourth year as a Students’ Career Mentor at Kingston University.

Fellows of the Center for Social Impact Strategy of the University of Pennsylvania meeting at Derby organised by Derby Museums.

I presented work at the Teddington Artists’ Art Fair.

Presentation of my work entitled Migration and of a performative piece that we called The Hidden Entity co-created by me and The Ensemble Project with the collaboration of artist Shane Bradford.

I taught project management skills to a group of amazing photographers for Four Corners as part of the London Creative Network.

Had a beautiful time sharing my journey and supporting young artists during the Community ARTivism programme run by Skaped.

I was commissioned to document the community of Aberfeldy Village in East London.

Behind the scenes of Aberfeldy Stories

Working with the London College of Fashion of the University of the Arts London, the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, Love Welcomes and Dr Francesco Mazzarella supporting refugee communities during the summer of 2022.

My project The Other Checkbox in collaboration with Sandy Abdelrahman included workshops exploring ethnic identity with a beautiful group of very talented individuals.

Very fortunate to be part of Traces: Stories of Migration, a project run by artist Lucy Orta and Making for Change, a programme by the London College of Fashion of the University of the Arts London.

I was named Chairperson of Central London Humanists.

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Thanks to Everyone Who Came To Teddington Artists Art Fair 2022

Thank you ever so much to everyone who came down to see me at the Teddington Artists Art Fair 2022 at the beautiful Victorian Normansfield Theatre at the Langdon Down Centre in Teddington this weekend. It was my first time at an art fair and I really enjoyed the feeling of community that artists who showcase at these fairs have. So many lovely people stopped by to show me support and also new friends who have just discovered my work for the first time.

I presented work from my series Migration, in which I investigate themes of displacement and restriction of Movement. I had a really good time and I hope to see you all at the next one!

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Join us in our Art-making Workshops!

Sandy Abdelrahman and I invite you to come along to our weekly workshops to explore identities, sense of belonging and representation through various creative activities and take part in a full-day doll-making workshop! Learn new skills, let your creative juices flow and be part of a lovely community of people who also consider themselves 'Others'. The workshops will take place in Central London on August 16 and August 23, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, and on a Saturday in September to be confirmed, from 11 am to 5 pm.

You can sign up on this link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/383338354337

The workshops consist of a variety of group dynamics and short exercises that will be followed by art-making sessions in which participants will learn how to make dolls from different materials such as fabric, paper and clay. All the pieces created by the participants will form part of a collective artwork that will be exhibited in the future to increase awareness and support for members of the 'Other' ethnic groups in London.

These workshops are aimed at people who consider themselves as 'Others' and who have lived experiences of otherness. All the artworks created during the workshops will take part in a collective exhibition and will be photographed for the social media, website, marketing and impact report of the project.

LOCATION, DATES AND TIMES

• Evening Workshops

Dates: August 16 and August 23

Time: 6:30 pm to 9 pm

Location: Marchmont Community Centre, 62 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AB

• Saturday Workshop

Dates: September 3

Time: 11 am to 5 pm

Location: Story Garden, , Ossulston St, Somers Town, London NW1 1DF

Be aware that the workshops will be photographed and short video clips will be taken for marketing purposes.

COVID

In line with current government advice, restrictions due to Covid-19 have been lifted across the UK. Wearing masks is a personal choice. If you are experiencing symptoms or test positive, we would ask you to consider the community and stay at home. We do not have a stock of tests at the venue, but masks and sanitising gel will be available.

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Teddington Artists Art Fair 2022

This year, I will have a stand at the Teddington Artists Art Fair showing work from my series Migration, in which I investigate themes of displacement and restriction of Movement. The art fair will take place at the beautiful Victorian Normansfield Theatre at the Langdon Down Centre in Teddington on July 23 and 24, 2022, from 11 am to 5 pm. The Langdon Down Centre is located at 2A Langdon Park, Teddington TW11 9PS in SW London.

Admission is £3. No need to register.

The Art Fair

Teddington Artists is a group of artists founded in 1990 who strive to show the wide degree of diversity in both media and style of the artists who live and work in the local area. They meet regularly to exchange ideas, provide artistic support and promote a high quality of work.

This year, the list of artists taking part in the fair includes Jim Woodman, Elaine Coles, Tracy Florance, Wick Hutton, Peter Taunton and many more from a wide range of styles: prints, paintings, ceramics, objets trouvés, photography, textile art, jewellery and sculpture.

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The Importance of Storytelling

Thanks to everyone who came to see me talk at the launch of The Reclaimery where I talked about the relationship between storytelling and pre-worn clothes. The event took place at The Lab E20, a space that has been repurposed by Christopher Raeburn as a creative hub which exhibits the work of eco-conscious designers, provoking thoughts on the processes behind our clothes.

During the talk, I spoke about why storytelling is important when we talk about our work and what are the necessary elements that form a story.

I used as an example El Viaje, a collaboration with The Reclaimery that was born from a conversation on how no one is from anywhere, and we are all from somewhere else.

I also presented a piece that I created as a response to Traces: Stories of Migration, a programme from the London College of Fashion and Making for Change in which I used cyanotype and silk organza to explore the migration journeys of my family in an attempt to answer the question of why was I born in Panama.

Photo credit: Francesco Mazzarella

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Aberfeldy Stories

Join me in East London for the unveiling of my new work commissioned by Ecoworld and Poplar Harca to mark the 10-year milestone of the Aberfeldy development. The exhibition Aberfeldy Stories, will be open to the public this summer at East India Green, Aberfeldy Village, London E14 0GH, in Poplar from 30 June-31 August 2022.

Aberfeldy Stories is a new photography and audio stories exhibition that explores how this iconic East London neighbourhood has evolved over the past decade, as well as the lives of the residents within the community. The exhibition features portraits of residents, business owners and community leaders, photographed by me.

There are also audio stories about how their lives have changed since the regeneration began and their hopes and dreams for the future, created in collaboration with local arts collective The People Speak.

See you there!

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Thanks for Coming to Mode Sirens and The Hidden Entity!

Thanks to everyone who came on Saturday to Shane Bradford’s Studio to see my new work entitled Migration and a choreography The Hidden Entity that I co-created with Max Gershon and The Ensemble Project. In Migration I combined photography and dance to investigate themes of displacement and restriction of movement. The session took place in the same building where I presented the work, a disused book works that is being used as a collaborative artistic space.

The Hidden Entity is a performance art presentation inspired by the collection of Mode Sirens from Shane Bradford and the very building in which it is performed. The building, a former publisher and book works in the heart of old Borough is due for redevelopment at the end of the year. The choreography echoes the aura of past activity, manifesting a sense of loss, breakdown and separation whilst enacting a vigorous ritual of optimistic and youthful energy, akin to rebirth and reparation.

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I Have Been Named Member of the Board of Trustees of AXIS

I’m very happy to announce that I have been named a member of the Board of Trustees of Axis, a charity that supports artists and champions best practices in the creative industries in the UK. I was attracted to the role because Axis was looking for trustees who consider themselves champions of equal access, anti-racism, and fair distribution in whatever field they work in. Those words strongly resonated with me!

Axis was founded in 1991 as an organisation that supports artists all over the UK by nurturing a culture of collaboration and growth, and creating opportunities for artists while encouraging and facilitating good practice in the visual arts.

They do this by creating access to the arts through their multiple programmes: Vacant Spaces (pop up art spaces in high streets all over the country), Graduate programme to ease the transition of students of art into the creative industries, Fellowship scheme with commissions, Hardship Fund, and more.

I couldn’t be prouder of being a member of the board of trustees of this organisation because they represent everything that I stand for. You can find out more about Axis and the work they do on their website axisweb.org or any of their social media @axisweb.

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Mode Sirens & The Hidden Entity

Shane Bradford, The Ensemble Project and I are pleased to invite you to an exhibition of painting and performance entitled “Mode Sirens & The Hidden Entity”. The project is a collaboration between artist Shane Bradford and the Ensemble Project, a choreographed assembly of six individual dancers, co-created by Max Gershon and me.

The opening is on Saturday, 7th May, 2022 from 3-7pm with two performances at 4pm and 6pm at 4 Bittern Street, London SE1 1PJ.

Mode Sirens ‘is a systemisation of tropes endemic to paint, pigment, movement and medium. Mistakes are isolated and categorised into groups of intentional action. The error, in all its forms is mitigated, in turn, by the repair. In the background the human body lurks. Breaches of covering canvas expose frail glimpses of bodily vulnerability. Slits, holes, openings and apertures hint at the venal imaginary flesh below the surface.’

The Hidden Entity is a performance art presentation from the Ensemble Project inspired from the collection of Mode Sirens and the very building in which it is performed. The building, a former publisher and book works in the heart of old Borough has served as the artist’s studio for the past decade and is due for redevelopment at the end of the year.

As such, it becomes another vulnerable body, a Hidden Entity living within its own time, housing the vestige of its own secret history and those who have passed through. The bespoke choreography by Max Gershon with JC Candanedo echoes the aura of past activity, manifesting a sense of loss, breakdown and separation whilst enacting a vigorous ritual of optimistic and youthful energy, akin to rebirth and reparation.

Mode Sirens & The Hidden Entity exist symbiotically as a multi-format mode of expression.

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Our Podcast is Live!

I’m very excited to announce that The Other Checkbox podcast is Live! Listen now on Spotify! The Other Checkbox is a collaboration between Sandy Abdelrahman and me which explores London's other ethnic identities, especially within the equality and diversity monitoring forms and the national statistics. The project idea was born from our continuous conversation and debates on identity and not feeling represented or belonging. It is a project that is rooted in our own lived experience as immigrants and members of the 'Other' ethnic groups ourselves.

Sandy is a migrant woman of colour, activist, creative social entrepreneur and a co-founder of Skaped, a charity that inspires young people to engage with their human rights through the creative arts. The Other Checkbox is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Our aim is to create a sense of community and belonging for individuals from the 'Other' communities and a space to share our voices. The other checkbox is broken down into four parts that interlink with each other starting with a survey, Podcast, Creative workshop and finally the impact report.

You can learn more about the project on theothercheckbox.co.uk.

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Recent Work Showcase

T S Eliot wrote in his 1919 essay Tradition and the Individual Talent that ‘No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone.’ Admittedly, he was referring to tradition and those who come before us but one could also say the same about the communities that surround us. Humans are social animals, and only when we are surrounded by a supportive environment is that we thrive. For me, that support network has been The Trampery. Since I became a member many moons ago, both the organisation and the members of their community have been my rock. Never before in my life have I been so inspired by anyone as I am inspired by my fellow members of The Trampery.

This week, The Trampery is hosting a member showcase featuring work by members of their creative community. From photographers to architects, musicians, fashion and digital designers, come over to The Trampery on the Gantry and enjoy exciting work from East London's creative community.⁠ Running from the 6th to the 10th of September from 11 am - 4 pm every day.⁠ Find out more on this link.

During the showcase, I will be featuring work from my recent projects some of which are straight out of the oven. Hope you enjoy it and please let me know in the comments below if you were able to make it.

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August 20, Tai Solarin Day

Tai Solarin, 20 August 1922 – 27 July 1994. Public domain.

My friend and colleague Lola Tinubu, co-founder of the Association of Black Humanists, shared with me that today, August 20, is Tai Solarin Day 2021. Dr Tai Solarin was an open atheist humanist born in Nigeria this day in 1922. He died in 1994. He was a leading civil rights activist, imprisoned for challenging the system. He campaigned vigorously against religion in school and, alongside his wife, established the first humanist school in Africa, which is still one of the best schools in Nigeria.

Lola shared with me this piece that she wrote: “Every freethinker on the planet should know about Tai Solarin. He was born in Nigeria on 20 August 1922. His actual name was Augustus Taiwo Solarin, but he was popularly and affectionately known as Uncle Tai Solarin. Tai is shortened Taiwo. He was one of twins. Taiwo in Yoruba means, the first to taste life. He was the first of the twins to be born. His twin sister was Kehinde Solarin. She died in 1991. The first to be born in multiple births in Yoruba Land is called Taiwo. The second is Kehinde and the third is Idowu.

Tai Solarin served in Britain's Royal Air Force during World War II, and finished a bachelor's degree in history and geography at the University of Manchester. He had his post-graduate studies at the University of London. His wife was an English woman, Sheila Mary Solarin (nee Tuer).

On return to Nigeria, he became a leading educator. Tai Solarin as well as being an educator became one of the leading post-Independence civil rights critics and activists in Nigeria. He was also an author and a philosopher.

In Nigeria, where religion dominates the public space, Tai Solarin was an open atheist humanist. As well as his political activism, he was a humanist activist. He was bent on letting Nigeria knew that you could be good without religion.

From 1952 to 1955, he was the Principal of Molusi College in Ijebu Igbo in the southwest of Nigeria. The governing board of the school demanded that he opened the school each day with hymns and prayers and that his students attended church every Sunday. He protested this vigorously. He wanted schools to be a religion-free zone so as to allow young people to think for themselves. He left Molusi College because he did not agree with the imposition of religion on young people.

Tai Solarin went on with his wife, Sheila to establish the first humanist school in Nigeria. His school is still going strong in Nigeria. It is called Mayflower School, in the southwestern part of Nigeria.

Tai Solarin was defiant until his very last breath. He was imprisoned for criticising corrupt governments in Nigeria. He was not afraid of being tortured or killed. He spoke out loud against bad governance, against any harmful practices of religion, culture, and tradition. His school is still one of the very best in Nigeria.

What remains unique about Tai Solarin was how he got away with being an open atheist humanist in Nigeria. Ordinarily being an open atheist humanist should be a problem in Nigeria, but Nigerians saw a good human in humanist Tai Solarin and loved him! In honour of his memory, Tai Solarin University Of Education is named after him.

Happy Tai Solarin Day!“

Thanks, Lola, for sharing the life of this fascinating man with me!

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I Made It To The Shortlist Of The Taylor Wessing 2021

Photo credit: ©2020 Thaïs Verhasselt

This year, an image from my project “Seeing Changes” was shortlisted alongside other 441 images for the National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2021. There were a total of 5,392 images submitted that represent the very best in contemporary portrait photography. Sadly, I didn’t make it to the finals, but I’m very proud of this accomplishment! Particularly with an image from this project that I’m very fond of.

The National Portrait Gallery’s Photographic Portrait Prize, sponsored by Taylor Wessing since 2008, is one of the most competitive photography awards in the world. Since the competition began in 1993, it has established itself as one of the leading photography competitions in the world.

The National Portrait Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Founded in 1856, its aim is to promote through the medium of portraits the appreciation and understanding of the people who have made and are making British history and culture, and the appreciation and understanding of portraiture in all media.

“Seeing Changes” is a photography project in which I explore how a supportive environment can change a young person's life forever. The series includes portraits of students and staff from the Waltham Forest College in London who took part in a personal development programme run by the Prince’s Trust.

The Prince’s Trust supports young people who often come from difficult backgrounds or are at risk of exclusion. Some of the students have dealt with trauma, have had problems with the law or have experienced mental health issues that have affected their self-confidence and their outlooks for their future.

The Waltham Forest College is located in Walthamstow, an area of East London with a rich industrial heritage. After the Industrial Revolution, it was famed for its manufacturing companies that included manufacturers of transport, arms and photographic equipment. However, post-war and up until the 2012 Olympic Games the area faced many challenges such as high levels of crime, poverty and deprivation.

Since the 2012 Summer Olympics, this part of London has become increasingly gentrified and property prices have skyrocketed which has contributed to a change in the local economy and demographics. Still, Walthamstow remains one of the most ethnically diverse areas in London.

Noora, from the series Seeing Changes © 2020 JC Candanedo

The college was built in 1938 in response to a demand for qualified labour for the industries in the area. One of the most notorious manufacturing companies of the time was Barnet Ensign, LTD, one of Britain's most successful camera-makers.

Barnet Ensign were the makers of the Ensign cameras, one of the most popular cameras of its time in the UK. The building where these cameras were produced stood three blocks from the College up until the 60’s when the factory was closed. The company never recovered after the building was bombarded during the Blitz in WWII.

All the portraits of this project were taken using an Ensign Ranger camera produced a decade after the college was built. This creates a direct link between the importance of Walthamstow in the history of photography, the place that the Waltham Forest College holds in the industrial heritage of the area and the work that the Prince’s Trust is doing in shaping the future of today’s youth.

Once the film was developed, I wanted to give a voice to all the participants so I asked them to write directly on the negatives and tell me their experiences of taking part in the programme. Due to the sensitive nature of some of their personal stories, I assigned the negatives at random so that no one wrote on their own portrait. This way, their personal experiences were kept anonymous.

While working on this project, I also led some of the workshops and offered mentorship to the students. I can honestly say that seeing their lives change from when they started in the programme to when they finished, knowing that we’ve contributed to the look of accomplishment in their faces, has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life.

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