Monday, September 20, 2021

Through the eyes of children

"I have always had a big faith in what photography can do", Serbest Salih told the Guardian's Sean O'Hagan in a recent interview. That faith has not been misplaced. For the Syrian refugee children living in Turkey with whom Salih works, it's brought empowerment, confidence and the pleasures of self-expression.

While adult photojournalists document the grim realities of the war-torn region and the appalling conditions endured by the impoverished people who have fled for their lives, the children offer a different, more positive perspective. Of a new book of images selected by the kids themselves, i saw the air fly, Salih said: "People think that if you give a refugee child a camera, the results will be sad, but instead most of these photographs are all about joy. They are small moments of private happiness."

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