GROWING UP

GROWING UP is an exhibition we created together with photographer and artist Vee Speers, highlighting the transition from childhood to adolescence. Each diptych portrays an 8-year-old playfully dressed for an imagined birthday party and the same child six years later as a teenager—empowered and ready for life's battles.

If children are allowed to remain children and encouraged to nurture their imagination in a safe environment, free from the burdens of adult responsibilities, it will shape us into better, more creative, and wiser adults. Hopefully, it might also make the world a better place.

The exhibition is based on two of Vee Speers' earlier projects, The Birthday Party (2007) and Bulletproof (2013).

The Birthday Party captures the final moments of childhood with timeless portraits that are simultaneously hauntingly beautiful and provocative. Vee Speers explores childhood imagination and playful escapism through dressing up and disappearing into a world of fantasy. These portraits confront us with reminders of our own childhoods, creating enigmatic stories that blur the line between reality and fiction.

Bulletproof tells a story of lost innocence. From the playground to the metaphorical battlefield of life, things have changed. These teenagers have grown taller, stronger, and their faces have transformed and refined. Their gazes are steady. They hold the reins, dictate the rules, and are the masters of their own destinies. Even if the sun turns cold, these characters will forever remain invincible and triumphant, no matter what happens.