In November 2026, I was awarded a DYCP Grant again to further my practice in the darkroom with emphasis on what it means to have a sustainable photo practice. How does this materialise in the darkroom, and about the photographic print, how can I explore the materiality and conventions of darkroom printing? The next 6 months will be spent focusing on the series The Wanderer.

The Wanderer is a series of portraits that is informed by my research into decolonial and sustainable approaches to photography. The Wanderer is a conduit to my concerns about how the black body is perceived in nature in the UK. Lauren Fournier notes in her book Autotheory as Feminist Practice in Art, Writing and Criticism (2022), notes ‘Arguably, the politics of land is really the most pressing question right now, tied as it is to both Indigenous justice and to ecological justice, both linked to the survival and futurity of life on Earth’.

The Wanderer, Velez Blanco, August 2024

In an attempt to honour the land, I have utilized natural materials, such as sweet corn husk, lavender, thyme, and coffee to develop the photos from this series. I want to build and develop upon my existing knowledge base by making a series of darkroom prints with natural materials such as lavender and rosemary. The darkroom prints will be constructed into a new portfolio of work and a photographic publication. Utilising my existing community, I will seek professional development from a wide range of artists and photographers based in the UK and the US to help with feedback and professional development.

I was last awarded a DYCP grant in 2021, and my practice and personal circumstances have evolved. I will be extracting the legacy of the learnings from 2021to inform the outcomes of this DYCP grant. This blog will act as a repository of my thoughts and processes. A point for me to register what I am learning from my DYCP grant, and to also provide transparency in my creative practice. I am also seeking to create a space that I can come back to if I am feeling disconnected from myself (and my practice, I can’t seperate the two).