For this project, I am looking to explore ‘Origins’ within my own identity and personal background. My Portuguese background and Jersey upbringing are the most important things to me. I see origins as a constant influence, not just as a physical starting point, they continue to shape us over time. My work will examine the past and present relationship by overlaying pictures of Madeira and Portugal, where my parents were born, with photos taken in Jersey to reveal my cultural heritage and where I am now.

This project means a lot to me because it allows me to reflect on my sense of identity and belonging. Having grown up across cultures, I’m interested in exploring my identity through photographs and expressing this journey. By utilising family photograph albums and culture objects from my home, I will explore how memory, heritage and upbringing contribute to identity. My artefacts are a part of evidence of ones origin which helps narrate a story of where they come from.

My project will develop through experimentation with layering, photomontage and image manipulation using archival material and my own photography. In my visual style, I will focus on composition, contrast and opacity. I will mainly work in black and white. My project will draw influence from the works of Wendy Red Star, who juxtaposes historical and contemporary imagery to explore cultural heritage and identity, and Chantal Lesley, a photographer who investigates personal identity through her work.

I want to initially work in my home, photographing family objects and old photographs, before layering and altering digitally. My final outcome may be a zine or a photobook where I present a collection of visuals that represent where I’m from, and how it relates to who I am.