AWARD

Where Children Sleep is a photographic series by James Mollison. The haunting imagery documents children’s bedrooms around the world – from the U.S.A, Mexico and Brazil, all the way to Nepal, China and India – positioned alongside a portrait of the child.

Mollison, a documentary photographer who was born in Kenya and now lives in Venice, says the series started with a brief by Fabrica (The Benneton Group communications Research Center) to come up with an idea that would engage children’s rights. As he considered how to represent children in need around the world, he wanted to avoid the common devices: pleading eyes, toothless smiles. When he visualised his own childhood, he realised that his bedroom said a lot about what sort of life he led; how significant it was during his childhood, and how it reflected what he had and who he was. He became convinced a child's bedroom speaks volumes about his or her circumstances, and set out to prove it. 

'As a child, that’s your little space within the house,' Mollison says. In 'Where Children Sleep' Mollison uses portraits of those little spaces to highlight both similarities and vast differences in how childhood is experienced across the globe; from a girl whose proud mother spends thousand dollar a month on her collection of dresses to a shepherd boy who sleeps outdoors with his father’s herd of goats.

“I hope the book gives a glimpse into the lives some children are living in very diverse situations around the world; a chance to reflect on the inequality that exists, and realise just how lucky most of us in the developed world are,” says James.

The hard copy book titled ‘Where Children Sleep’ can be purchased online. Make sure you also check out the rest of James Mollison’s portfolio.