SISU \ 2025

Sisu is a mixed-media documentary art work about loss, memory and renewal. Following the death of my brother in 2021, I moved to Lapland in Finland. I met Finnish and Sámi artists, photographers, teachers, reindeer herders, doctors, farmers, academics and film makers. Their recurring memories of loss are snagged on experiences of domestic murder, suicide, addiction, mental illness and the unforgiving terrain of Lapland. Yet, these people persist through a constant process of renewal. Together, we explored dynamics between human and non-human lives – relationships to what’s both inside and outside of ourselves.

The Finnish word Sisu is about resolve in the face of adversity – especially when failure is likely. It’s about not giving up. Sisu defines the people I’ve worked with, the stories I’ve heard and the struggles to articulate them.

Outputs include two films, a book and a photography exhibition. Supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and a Kone Arts Fellowship at the Helsinki Collegium of Advanced Studies.

Exhibition at M2 Gallery, London - 20.07 - 31.08.25 & Ken Artspace, London 4.10 - 25.10.25 (as part of PhotoMonth).

Selected and exhibited by the Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition 166 (2025).