Ways of Kids' Seeing

Ethnic minorities are liable to be pushed to the margins of society, made to subsist without the protections and support members of the mainstream take for granted. . This marginalisation is especially felt in times of social crisis - such as we have experienced during the present pandemic - when information dissemination and community support networks become vital.  By eliminating boundaries and sharing everyday human experiences with minority groups  our society can become truly inclusive, and both minority groups and mainstream society can benefit from the exchange.

 

To be a member of an ethnic minority is to possess a relational identity, ever dependent on the majority view; it is, in a sense, to be always seen through someone else’s eyes. It is always the struggle of power. I believe in creativity, that is why I decided to let the group with whom I worked represent themselves creatively. With 20 colour markers and a disposable camera, they can document their lives in their hands and show their world to others directly. 

 

“Ways of Kids’ Seeing” is a project collaborated by a researcher and kids from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. It archived the transformation of individual emotion and the society as a whole with photography and illustrations during the pandemic.

 

The pictures and photos are created from the perspective of the kids, constituting a database of their sorrow and happiness, playgrounds and communities affected by Covid-19. They introduce themselves to us through pictures, daily schedules, floor plans of their home and dimensions of dining tables and kitchens. There are photos blurred by their little fingers, capturing scenic landscapes of different corners in Hong Kong, with silhouettes on buses and trains, enriched by views looking out from their windows.

 

Let’s walk into their world together.

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Ways of Kids’ Seeing

Willis Ho, 2021

Mixed Media