Portrait of Mirium Turyasingura, Birmingham, 2023 – In support of refugees in the UK

Description

“You can see me, but I don’t exist” combines photography by Alan Gignoux and creative writing by people seeking refuge living in Birmingham, London, and Manchester.  The project was supported by an Arts Council England National Lottery Grant.

For this body of work, Gignoux used a camera obscura to create portraits of refugees in the UK. He chose a long exposure to blur the faces and bodies of the refugees, while leaving the background in focus. This intentional blurring was intended as a metaphor for the way in which the asylum process undermines people’s identity and makes them feel invisible.

Shown here is a portrait of Mirium Turyasingura who has been waiting for a response to her asylum application for over twenty years.  Many asylum seekers in her position experience destitution, eviction, and even temporary incarceration in a detention centre.  Mirium lives in Birmingham and is one of the women who turn to the Baobab Women’s Project for advice, support, and companionship.

Proceeds from the sale of this print will be donated in equal amounts to the four refugee organisations that participated in this project: JRS, the Jesuit Refugee Service (London), Stories of Hope and Home and Baobab Women’s Project (Birmingham), and Everything Human Rights (Manchester).

Mirium’s portrait is included in the “You can see me, but I don’t exist” exhibition-book, and was exhibited at the Stratford Library, the Library of Birmingham, and Manchester Central Library in May and June 2023.  The book is available for purchase in the Gignouxphotos book shop.

Mirium’s portrait has been selected for inclusion in the 2023 BJP Portrait of Britain exhibition and book.

Open edition available in 10 x 8 inches printed on fine art quality Canson Arches 88 paper.