"ME"

 

‘ME’ teases out and shares current optimistic, social, & aspirational stories from local children of today forging options to open up conversations about future, dreams, knowledge, & change. Robins has photographically evidenced how a child’s voice is powerful, positive, & engaged in a world full of daily challenges.

Robins has skilfully captured the direct gaze of these brilliant young people, a collaboration of words, portraits, and personal objects. Her imagery inspires and enlightens our views of  ‘youth’. The collections are a direct ‘personal inventory’ from a random cohort of year 5 primary school children in Leicester.

Her direct and fresh imagery was shot during April and June 2022, and appropriately titled ‘ME’. She has produced a powerful archive, almost an historic album that embraces poignant portraits of young people. The imagery encompasses the diversity of their hobbies, sporting interest, passions and how they fill their time before these special moments are lost forever as they grow older. Many opportunities were put on hold during the global pandemic, these shots are a celebration of life created a few months after we were gently returning to ‘normal’. Clearly visualising that we can restore the equilibrium. Robins wanted to recognize that kids can and will adapt, they are robust in a world constantly in flux.

 

These triptychs tell immediate stories by carefully freezing a moment of their childhood. Using her photographic skills, she has captured small moments that parents & children can connect with beyond the quick phone snapshot, or classic school photo. Using handwritten text and personal objects she has merged ideas and allowed the children to have an opportunity to share passions with the photographer.

Direct innocent gazes & unique expressions evidence that we can briefly harness the moment before moving on to life’s the next chapter. These images not only restore our faith in the world, but they also reflect & amplify positivity and determination for the next generation. The work is a celebration of identity, diversity, & the kids of today and beyond.