DYADIC | MAPJD 2016/17 | Projects

The International Child

'Where are you from?' is one of the most frequently asked questions when we meet someone new. One that in the current political climate of increasing nationalism and the desire to define borders becomes more loaded by the day. But how can we define this sense of “being from” somewhere? Is it where we were born? Is it defined by where we spent our formative childhood years? Is it where we received our education? The languages we speak? Or is it where we feel at home, where we personally feel a sense of belonging. Perhaps where our family is based or the majority of our friends? As someone who has grown up in many different countries, as what is known as a “Third Culture Kid” this question of identity is one I have struggled to clarify both for myself and to others.

'The International Child' is both a personal journey and a broader exploration of memory and home. By revisiting the different places I lived in as a child, I want to convey the sense of constant movement and fragmentation I experienced. As I progressed through the project I found certain themes -mainly nature, but also specific colours and textures- became a unifying element across these seemingly disparate realities. Through this work I examine my own sense of home and belonging, but also want to pose an open question about identity in a globalised world.

www.michellemarkham.com

michellemarkham@btinternet.com

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The International Child | Photography by Michelle Markham