Poignant portraits of more than two dozen children from a Leicester primary school will go on display at the city’s museum and art gallery this weekend.
Photographer and visual artist Clair Robins has captured the optimism and aspirations of the 10-year-olds from Dovelands Primary School for an exhibition that’s simply called ‘ME’.
Each of the 25 children is photographed alongside a personal object and a handwritten note, providing an insight into their personalities and their passions.
In one image, Dilly, aged 10, reveals her love for garlic bread and her ambition to be a teacher when she grows up. In another, kickboxer Natasha poses in her kickboxing gloves and declares her love for Harry Potter.
The images, digitally printed onto display panels, are presented as 25 photographic triptychs, with a further 25 portraits shown on a video loop.
“As my daughter goes to Dovelands Primary, it seemed a natural place for me to start,” said Clair, who was born and raised in Leicester and has exhibited work all over the world.
“Initially I was hoping for about 10-12 volunteers, but it escalated to 25 through word of mouth, giving me some very busy weekends!
“The main images were all shot with a DSLR camera in my front room at home in natural light, as I wanted to create a comfortable environment so the children felt relaxed.
“I hope I’ve captured their optimistic faces and a hint of who they were at that moment in time.
“This work may just be the starting point as I’d love to repeat the project when the children leave secondary school in a few years’ time.”
‘ME’ by Clair Robins opens in the Leicester Stories Gallery at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday (29 April) and continues until 28 August.
More information about Clair’s work is available at clairrobins.com
