Within These Walls

This series follows the story of a young girl in her bedroom where she faces domestic abuse and tensions between her parents. The entire series is seen from the child’s point of view of this situation. The child is dressed as a fairy throughout to display her naivety and innocence, and how she uses dress up and imaginative things as a coping mechanism. The shots of the child alone with the mother have a very different feeling than those of the child alone with the father. The mother’s moments are tender and sometimes sad, whereas the father’s are suggestive and threatening. 

This series is inspired by my personal domestic experience as a child. This project is a continuation of my previous projects on this topic but delves deeper into the subject and more directly into the subject matter. 

The series focuses mainly on what this young girl sees, from what should be the ‘comfort and safety of her own room’ but is darkened by the abuse she experiences. Through various doorways, mirrors, and windows in her bedroom, we are trapped with her in this situation. I chose to shoot it all in the small room to give the feeling the child is like a bird trapped in a cage.