James Mollison's Where Children Sleep documents the sleeping spaces and portraits of children from diverse socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds worldwide. Initiated around 2004 while Mollison was working at Fabrica, a hybrid space for creative research and production, this series examines global childhood inequalities through an intimate exploration of personal spaces. The first collection was published as a book in 2010, with a second volume following in 2023, expanding the project to address contemporary issues such as climate change, refugee crises, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The project emerged as Mollison’s response to traditional charity imagery, which he found oversimplified and insufficiently insightful. By capturing children from vastly different backgrounds—ranging from affluent families in Western nations to impoverished or refugee settings—Mollison offers a more nuanced narrative of global inequality. The work reflects broader early-21st-century conversations about globalization, human rights, and socioeconomic disparity, directly engaging with themes from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly the ideal that all are born equal in dignity and rights.
Artistically, Mollison employs a typological approach, pairing two distinct photographic methods to foster direct comparison. Each child is photographed separately from their environment, in a studio-style portrait against a plain neutral background, emphasizing individuality and dignity. Conversely, the sleeping spaces are captured in situ, portraying the varied material and cultural circumstances. The portraits maintain consistent composition with static framing and a solemn tone, facilitating equal representation regardless of background. Meanwhile, the sleeping space images vividly detail each child's circumstances, with diverse ambient lighting and color palettes reflecting their reality—from luxurious rooms filled with possessions to sparse, makeshift sleeping arrangements.
Technically, Mollison uses a medium format camera which enables high-resolution images rich in detail and enhances the project's observational clarity. He creates portable studio environments for portraits even in challenging settings like refugee camps, reinforcing the project's sustained use of a uniform and impartial visual approach.
Since its 2010 release, Where Children Sleep has toured internationally as a traveling exhibition, with notable presentations at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, Atlanta (2016), Pera Museum, Istanbul (2021), and Kyotographie, Kyoto (2024); the project expanded with Where Children Sleep, Vol. 2 (Hoxton Mini Press, 2023). Recognition includes the Royal Photographic Society’s Vic Odden Award (2009), Creative Review Photography Annual "Best in Book" (2010), and finalist for the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund grant.