I met this little boy when I was in Dhaka Bangladesh in 2022. It was my first night in this city and the sounds, colours and smells were overwhelming. I had never experienced any place like this in my life. I was drawn to the child and his mother as they sat begging on the busy streets. Life was moving so fast around them and they looked invisible to the passers by, the boy almost looked dizzy with fear, he did not know what to do, he just looked at his mother for reassurance. I sat and tried to speak to the mother and was greeted with a warm smile and a sparkle of sadness in her eyes. It broke my heart that such poverty can be allowed to exist in 2022.
I wanted to create a realism portrait that would scream. The child looked at his Mother who offered her hand, the child was scared and confused. Life passed around them. It was like a dark nightmare.

“Twenty Twenty Two” is also available as a signed limited edition print, please see the “Bangladesh and Climate Change” series on the limited edition print section of the website.