From the British Journal of Photography: “‘My hope is to bring people into connection, into their heart,’ says Siân Davey. ‘It’s a heart practice. With very real issues.’ The photographer, known for her sensitive work documenting her own children, as well as tender reflections on the intimate relationships amongst families and groups of young people, has been selected for the Wellcome Photography Prize commission. Over the coming months, she will be producing a new body of work around the theme of mental health. This new project, entitled Testament, will focus specifically on the relationship between poverty and mental health, documenting the lives of individuals living in Torquay, Devon, and struggling with precarious living conditions and all the associated psychological states this produces.
One of the categories in this year’s Wellcome Photography Prize, currently calling for entries, is Mental Health. The open call is inviting projects like Davey’s commission that will counter visual clichés and stigmas associated with mental health conditions and, of course, handle these topics with the requisite sensitivity and care.”
