Where Children Sleep is an eye-opening project by photographer James Mollison that takes a look at children from all across the globe and the diverse environments they go to sleep in. The series presents a portrait of each child or adolescent accompanied by a shot of their bedrooms. While some have a bounty of possessions and a lavish bed to rest their head on at night, the images reveal that some are not as fortunate.
Mollison gives an intimate perspective of these children, offering some sense of their lifestyle through their personal bedroom. At times, though, it can be difficult to even refer to the space they sleep in as a bedroom as there is no actual bed. In the case of Bilal, a 6-year-old Bedouin shepherd boy, the young boy is left to sleep “outdoors with his father’s herd of goats.” Alternatively, 4-year-old Kaya in Tokyo is adorned in frilly dresses that her mother spends $1,000 on every month, which is reflected in the abundance of toys and luxury items that fill her room.
The series is currently available as a photo essay and fine art book that offers a variety of lifestyles, as seen through the portraits of children and their bedrooms.
Above: Alex, 9, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Anonymous, 9, Ivory Coast
Indira, 7, Kathmandu, Nepal
Dong, 9, Yunnan, China
Ahkohxet, 8, Amazonia, Brazil
Alyssa, 8, Harlan County, USA
Li, 10, Beijing, China
Bilal, 6, Wadi Abu Hindi, The West Bank
Joey, 11, Kentucky, USA
Kaya, 4, Tokyo, Japan
Jaime, 9, New York, USA
Ryuta 10, Tokyo, Japan
Nantio, 15, Lisamis, Northern Kenya
Kana,16, Tokyo, Japan