Where Children Sleep

AUTHOR/ARTIST: JAMES MOLLISON

Introduction

James Mollison created this to address some of the complex

situations and social issues affecting children, in a variety of
different circumstances; by photographing them along with their
bedroom.

He also hoped that this project would encourage children to

think about inequality.

Juan David, 10, Medellin, Columbia

Juan lives in a shanty town with
his parents in Medellin,
Columbia.
He and his family are
considered internationally
displaced persons after fleeing
their former home town due to
violence caused by the drug
trade.
His family now lives in a shack
built by Juans father, In an area
with limited job opportunities,
that lacks access to basic
services like schools & hospitals.
Juan is fortunate to attend
school, loves playing football &

Kaya, 4, Tokyo Japan

Kaya lives with her parents in a
small apartment in Tokyo,
Japan.
Her bedroom is lined from floor
to ceiling with clothes, dolls,
and stuffed animals.
Her mother makes all of her
dresses.
She has 30 dresses and coats,
30 pairs of shoes, and many
different wigs, but must wear a
uniform to school.
Kaya wishes to be a cartoonist
when she grows up.

Bikram, 9, Melamchi, Nepal

Bikram lives with his
grandparents, aunt, uncle and two
cousins in the countryside of
Nepal. His parents were killed
during the civil war.
His home is a 2 hour trek from the
nearest road.
He and his family sleep in the corn
store upstairs, there is no
electricity, they have one
bedroom light, that is powered by
a car battery.
Bikram works hard at school and
enjoys learning and playing ball
with his friends. One day he would
like to become a doctor.

Ayla, 19, Utah, United States

My name is Ayla, Im 19 years old and I
was born and raised in Salt Lake City,
Utah.
In my spare time I enjoy creating art and
being outdoors.
My mother had both me and my sister
at a very young age and worked
extremely hard on her own to provide a
stable and suitable lifestyle for us. My
whole life, she has encouraged me to
pursue my passions, as well as an
education, in order to be successful.
I am currently attending Salt Lake
Community College, and am uncertain of
what career I would like to pursue.

Reflection

My goal for this project was to illuminate the ideals of inequality, as well as privilege discussed in our
unit, within my own life.

More specifically this exhibit for me, resonated with the ideals put forth within our reading A Chinamans
Chance: Reflections On The American Dream. While Eric Liu strived to point out the changing dynamic
of the American dream and its withering perspective in the eyes of immigrants. I too, am making a
similar connection from an Americans perspective. To many people, within my generation The American
dream is no longer obtainable. As Eric Liu put it job opportunities are scarce. There looms a real
threat that we will be the first American generation to have a lower standard of living than our parents
(pg. 517). and Whether it is the difficulty of finding jobsor the mountains of debt that darken our
future, the message to my peers is often that this nations time has come and gone; (pg. 521).
However I believe that this perspective is largely due to the diluted ideal of the American dream. The
belief that that prosperity is the pursuit of material happiness and must be accompanied by affluence. I
agree with Eric Liu when he claimed that To me, the dream is not just about buying a bigger house
than the one I grew up in or having shinier stuff now than I had as a kid. It also represents a sense of
opportunity that binds generations together My conception of the American Dream does not take
progress for granted.and values the opportunity as much as the achievement. (Pg. 517)