MIs displaced Joy

The title, Mis-Dis-Placing Joy, embodies the tension of living on borrowed time and land. The fractured punctuation mirrors the unsettled realities of displacement, while the enduring presence of joy reflects the children’s resilience. Gardens and flowers, photographed alongside rubble, serve as metaphors: fragile yet persistent, like the children themselves, finding light and growth in hard places. Through this series, I aim to shift the focus from victimhood to agency, showing how joy(even when unsettled)can endure. I hope these photographs encourage viewers to reflect on what we value and share in a world often guided by aesthetics rather than empathy, and to recognise the importance of protecting children from harsh circumstances. This work is dedicated to the first four little girls I met in the park, whose bold, bright, and colourful attire opened my eyes to a world of inequality and inspired this series.