AWAKE by Jonathan May

Jonathan May’s “Stanford” placed first in the Head On Portrait Prize 2013. A wider selection from May’s “AWAKE” series, as well as some work from his “Thika” series, is now showing at The Queen Street Gallery with an official opening tonight on May 22 as part of the Head On Photo Festival. Here, May shares the story behind his award-winning image.

In 2007 Kenya experienced its darkest hour. Tribal tension erupted after apparent rigged elections, with violence and chaos consuming the country. Over 1,600 people were killed, while over 660,000 were forced from their homes and made to live in internally displace peoples camp (IDP) or else suffer the same brutal fate.

Stanford and his family lived in a village on the fertile land of Narok. In the middle of the night they were given 5 minutes to pack their belongings and leave their home forever, before their village was burnt to the ground.

Prior to the incident Stanford has been diagnosed with a rare skin condition that made him highly sensitive to the sun, but was fairly healthy, due to his ability to remain out of the elements. Things changed at the IDP camp, when Stanford was forced to live in a small white clear tent, in a barren field without many trees for shade. His condition quickly deteriorated.

Five years later there is a new president, but for many life...