ABOUT

This project presents a series of portraits of female squatters along with photographs of the interiors they dwell in. It is a personal insight into this community, emphases an exploration of identity and the desire for home. This literal and metaphorical filling of empty spaces, tends to be hollow its self in many aspects.

Squatting, the practice of moving into vacant properties without the consent of the owners, is a controversial issue. Due to changes in UK law it became widely exposed in the media. People who live this way are often presented as vandals and junkies, less often as people in social need who instead of calling for help, try to find a solution themselves with benefits for the community and environment. This project doesn’t aim to show any of these labels and prejudice and more attention is given to intimacy. Each of the interiors has its own story and is someone’s very personal space. The decision to portray solely female squatters is motivated by a desire to challenge the perceptions of criminality associated with squatting.

Individual stories in the faces of particular people and feeling from certain spaces are revealed. Due to the solicitude to capture the essence of the spaces and personalities, it felt natural to become a part of it and live it to embark on a social exploration through an intimate interpersonal odyssey. Divining one self, one’s  place in an unfamiliar space. Seeking hollow.