The Invisible
The Invisible
2018
China
The Invisible
2018
This project, titled The Invisible, focuses on the homeless population in London. There are over 300,000 homeless
individuals in the UK—half of them living in London. For this project, I spent more than three months meeting with over
30 people experiencing homelessness. I sat with each of them for hours on the streets, interviewing them and documenting
their lives. I shared meals with them and, at times, slept rough alongside them.
While this is a project about homelessness, at its core, it reflects on the city of London and the people it has abandoned.
Homelessness is a common sight in London, but that should never be an excuse to ignore it—especially in a city so full
of uncertainty. This project aims to listen to their voices, document their experiences, and give them the space to tell
their own stories. I hope the work might spark change, though I have my doubts about whether photography alone can
transform anyone’s circumstances.
As I delved deeper into the project, I realized I could neither determine the cause of someone’s homelessness nor claim to
know what might lift them out of it. Like you and me, they are complex individuals.I’ve come to see that the lives of people
experiencing homelessness mirror our own in many ways. In another light, they might even be seen as those who have
escaped the traps of modern society. They are refugees of this city—and in a way, truly free, though that freedom comes at
a steep cost.
