Photographer Vic Moy was raised in a belief system where children were seen but not heard: “So, part of my personal and creative journey has been about giving myself ongoing permission: to speak, feel, reflect, heal, and to grow,” she says. She looks forward to a future where “it’s safe to feel, somewhere frostbite doesn’t exist.” It’s this optimism that washes over her lens, adding a soft and emotional cultural depth to her work.
Last year, Vic took to the vibrant streets of Nottinghill Carnival with her camera for the – she describes this body of work as “a story of resilience and one of joy”. In her second time documenting West London’s festivities, Vic spent time deep in cultural research before stepping out. Letting her work be informed by the the people around her, she delved deeper into the journey’s of elders in arriving to the UK, those who “gently shaped the waters of Black British history, leaving everlasting ripples across the UK’s cultural legacy and global history,” she says.
Vic’s research saturates her photography, as she focuses on the small moments. The viewer feels as though they are passing through, tailing her on this journey past feathers, flag capes, and dollar chains. Vic says: “I hoped to have captured even a small glimpse of the inner beauty of each person, each representing their island, identity, culture, and extraordinary spirit.”