Online Gallery

Thinking Differently:
New Work by London Students

Using photography to represent themselves and the unique times we find ourselves in



One facet of Autograph's mission is to educate: who makes photographs? Who are photographs for? Who is an artist? What can a photograph mean? Autograph has recently worked with teachers and schools to share how visual representation intersects with issues of identity and human rights, and how students can make profound commentary on these questions using a tool that is literally in their hands – their phone.

In September 2020 we teamed up with Creative Schools and professional photographer Alejandra Carles Tolra to work with George Monoux College and Morley College, Chelsea Centre for Creative Industries in London. Our goal was to empower students to represent themselves, and the issues they care about, using photography.

We started with the teachers, setting up training sessions about race and identity in the classroom, using images from Autograph’s collection and thinking about creative approaches to exploring these issues. Students then joined us for online workshops; a safe, constructive space for them to share their ideas about personal identity and community. What emerged were passionate discussions about the media stereotypes that affect their lives as young people, and the impact of current social justice issues including the Black Lives Matter movement and the global pandemic.

We asked: how could photography be a means to challenge negative representations and create images that show different perspectives and shine a positive light? For inspiration, we looked at work by artists including Zanele Muholi, Mahtab Hussain and Omar Victor Diop. Alejandra shared her documentary photography practice giving the students an insight into creative and sensitive ways of representing communities, a first-hand account of the life of a professional photographer. She then set a photography challenge, for each student to use their mobile phone camera to create a series of images that reveal ‘what is below the surface’.

We are proud to present the results of the project below.

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Senan

Aisha

Salma

Eva

Angela

sample

Maria

Hibo

Caleb

Cosmin

Ilham

Marieam

Nana

sample

Celine

sample

Viola

Marieam

Rin

Hasan

Caleb

Aisha

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Banner and project images all © and courtesy of the artists.

Discover More images: 1)Heather McDonough, Cliff's Mother [detail], from the series RePose. 01. 2) Maxine Walker, Cleansing, from the series Black Beauty, 1991. © and courtesy of the artist and Autograph, London. 3)HEAVY CIRCLE illustration by Benedetta Manfredi @be.moody