Vivo: Under the Blue Sun – Mobile Photo Awards 2023
As with young people everywhere, theirs is a transitional state. Poised between adolescence and adulthood, rebellion and responsibility, spirituality and society, their daily lives present an emotional mosaic of quick smiles, pensive daydreams, sacred heritage and youthful vignettes. Having been welcomed into this rarely-seen and frequently-misunderstood world, I was keenly aware of the responsibility that comes with representation; unconsciously or otherwise, documentary work around ethnic groups and regionally-specific cultures perpetuates biases, prejudices and stereotypes all too often.
Under the Blue Sun consciously sidesteps the kind of static, one-dimensional depictions of ritual rites, socioeconomic hierarchies and geographic particularities with which these groups are typically represented. By taking up the stance of an empathetic observer and participatory insider, I attempted to create a space in which the magic of the mundane can organically emerge and be celebrated on an equal footing with their solemn journey into the teachings, duties and practice of their faith. These images gently tease out varied facets and nuances of their subject’s lived experiences – all of which is observed with affection and respect for their sense of individual agency and self-determination.