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We are proud to be showcasing a selection of new work including cyanotype prints and still life photographs from sixteen local students, many of who are aged 16-18, created as part of the Common Ground project. Common Ground is an annual collaboration between Autograph and UAL Insights which invites a group of local sixth form and further education college students to explore themes of identity through photography.
Created and facilitated by Adrian Wood and D Wiafe, this year’s programme used studio photography and the cyanotype printing process as a starting point, inviting the group to explore who they are through classic and contemporary forms of creative practice.
Alongside this image gallery, you can also catch new portraits created by the young Londoners on display at Old Street Digital Canvas. Each work uniquely different, the display takes an autobiographical approach, encapsulating what it means to grow up in London today.
"My journey is shaped by the fusion of my two identities — my Middle Eastern heritage and my experience of Western
culture. I often reflect on the impact of my upbringing and the contrasting cultures that shape my identity, how different my life could have been. This sense of longing and duality has
become the central point of my work, showcasing the beauty and challenges of navigating multiple identities."
– Esraa
"People can carry pieces of their family and history around with them, even if you don’t see it. Young people are experimental, everyone is trying something different for themselves."
– Eithan
"It is a therapeutic experience shooting self-portraits because you can present yourself exactly how you want to be. This work explores gender non-conformity and the importance of existing authentically, allowing me to connect who I am in my head to a physical thing."
– Phoebe
"This is the beginning of a new journey, the beginning of everything."
– Syan
"Music is apart of everything I do, which is why I chose to portray it majorly in my still-life photo. As a clarinettist,
pianist, beat maker/music producer, and avid listener of less modern music, I thought it would be intriguing to express these areas as a whole, in an unexpected way."
– Ayanna
"I chose an anti-portrait to reflect back when I used to be bullied and refused to show my face around my neighbourhood. This photograph revisits that memory but now I know I have a community that makes me
proud of myself today."
– Niyaz
"To be cool is to be confident, not scared, fearless. We aren’t scared to try new things."
– Keikoh
"This project is a celebration of my
youth."
– Pedro
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"This work represents solitude, and how isolation and independence can bring you to learn to seek comfort in your own company as well as bring the most loved ones closer to you, learning happiness from the hardships of loneliness."
– Jessica
"This portrait plays with the notion that we can create personas through photography like we do with music."
– Sarah
"I am taking ownership of my own identity, even though we are far I keep my country always in mind." – Darek
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"Young people that come from hardworking families, like mine, go
through struggles in life and take on opportunities to get their name out there. When I look back at this work in 20 years, I hope to say it
represented my youth and my creative thinking at a young age."
– Nazia
"Photography is an intimate practice and not all portraits need to represent the face. I want to be more private, but I still want to share."
– Anastasia
"Much like the flux of being a teenager, I wanted to capture the moment in time where you are challenging yourself to try something new whilst feeling self-conscious about doing it."
– Mithoon
"I want to represent teenage life and my passions. I am carrying my
skateboard to show the thrill for the sport - hobbies and things we are
passionate about, they help us come together."
- Alex
"What does identity look like if you can’t see it? Identity is fragmented and your heritage can be represented through objects you present yourself with to express who you are to the world."
- Ayana
Find out more about our artist-led project introducing young people to photography.
Find out more
Banner image: Ayana, 2024 [detail]. Cyanotype. Courtesy of
the artist and Autograph, London. © Ayana.
Images on page: Courtesy of the artists and Autograph, London. © The artists.
Project image: UAL insights participants / Adrian Wood.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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