Dr Ellen Sampson x Angela
Angela’s story
Almost overnight, the only home Angela and her son, Kardinell, had ever known as a family got taken away from them.
Her landlord ramped up the rent, leaving Angela with no choice but to sofa surf. They’d spend their days hopping from home to home, hoping that one friend or another would put them up for the night.
Kardinell was badly affected by all of this. He’d been distracted at school and was worried about things like paying the bills and dealing with the landlords – issues which no child should ever have to think about.
Thankfully, Shelter were able to help them find a social home. They’ve been living there ever since and have finally found a solid foundation upon which they can build a better future for themselves.
Ultimately, it’s a testament to their incredible resilience that Angela and Kardinell have been able to start over and regain control of their lives once again.
Dr Ellen Sampson’s inspiration
“I wanted to make an image that recorded that intimacy and the shift in Angela and Kardi’s lived experience from homelessness to homed.”
Angela and her son Kardi’s story made me think the about the nature of home, and in particular, of the experience of coming home and the tangle of shoes that always greet me when I open the door. More than that, it made me think about family, and the intimate bonds between mother and child.
We worked together to develop a pair of cyanotype prints of their shoes from both periods of being homeless and homed (Kardi’s feet have really grown!)
The result is a set of cyanotypes, an early photographic process which creates detailed images in evocative shades of blue.
Visit Shoes Have Names at New Brewery Arts
The exhibition is open from 30th January to 2nd April at New Brewery Arts. It’s free to visit.
Support Shelter charity shops
This exhibition first appeared at a Shelter boutique in London. We wanted to connect shopping, fashion and craft to tell stories of homelessness. Whenever you pre-loved donate clothes, or buy from us you’re helping Shelter fight the housing emergency that is devastating lives.
To donate clothing and items to our charity shops via post, for free, simply download a free postage label. Or you can find your local Shelter charity shop here.
To find out more about Shelter, click on the links below:
Shelter Website: http://england.shelter.org.uk/
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