Love’s Fire Song

Love’s Fire Song developed over five years, working with young people from communities on either side of the peace walls in Belfast. My interest in Northern Ireland grew from a desire to understand a place beyond the images and narratives through which it was so often presented. I was drawn to the lives unfolding within this landscape, and to the possibility of finding a more intimate and personal understanding of a place shaped by history, identity and division.

Taking the symbolic bonfires of July and August as a starting point, I worked collaboratively with young people from both communities, developing open ended visual narratives through the relationships and experiences that emerged. Although the bonfires carry particular cultural and historical associations, I was also interested in the shared ritual of gathering around a fire, which in itself echoes much older human traditions.

I became increasingly interested in the everyday lives of the young people themselves. Often defined in opposition to one another by religious beliefs, cultural backgrounds and an inherited sense of place, I wanted to look beyond these distinctions, finding the common experiences that connect us.

The search for light and beauty in the ordinary has always been central to my work. I have always been drawn to the emotional narratives of people’s lives, to the small gestures, moments and encounters that reveal something of who we are. As I have said:

“A life, no matter how ordinary, is as beautiful and dramatic as anyone else’s. All the joy, stillness, subtleties of emotion and sadness in the everyday which link us all – this is what I am honing in on. People like to be acknowledged, they want to have an identity and presence in a world where they may feel they are not seen nor heard. The emotional narrative of everyone’s life is interesting, that is what I am drawn to.”

I wanted the photographs to move beyond stereotypical representations, allowing space for the individuality and complexity of the young people and their lives. Rather than making explicit references to the political context or geographical divisions, I was interested in finding a quieter, more contemplative portrait of youth culture, one that might reveal unexpected connections between seemingly disparate places and experiences.

The photographs, alongside a sound composition by Max Cooper, bring together these individual stories and experiences. Love’s Fire Song looks beyond the often destructive legacy of history to reflect on the commonalities that exist between people, and the beauty, hope and possibility found in their everyday lives.

"Difference is the essence of humanity." John Hume