These portraits were taken at The Peace Pledge Union’s white poppy ceremony in London. Here and in dozens of other towns and cities across the UK, reathes of white poppies were laid in memory of all victims of war, both past and present.

I made these portrait diptychs. I asked the subject to begin with closed eyes and then open them. The opening of the eyes symbolises a conscious awakening, to take a different view of the world and reject the inevitability of war.

This is taken from the Peace Pledge Union website.

White poppies are not a recent invention, they were first produced in 1933 in the aftermath of the First World War, by members of the Co-operative Women’s Guild. Many of these women had lost family and friends in the First World War. They wanted to hold on to the key message of Remembrance Day, ‘never again’. Remembrance of all victims of war, including both civilians and members of the armed forces. We remember people of all nationalities. We remember those killed in wars happening now, as well as in the past. We also remember those who are often excluded from the mainstream, such as refugees and victims of colonial conflicts.

Challenging war and militarism, as well as any attempt to glorify or celebrate war. White poppies encourage us to question the way war is normalised and justified. They remind us of the need to resist war and its causes today. A commitment to peace and to seeking nonviolent solutions to conflict. By drawing attention to the devastating human cost of war, white poppies highlight the urgency of our ongoing struggle for peace.