If & When: Once Upon a Time
Collection:UAL Art Collection
Date: 2025
Artist: Poppy Kanu
Dimensions:
27 x 27cm (closed)
Medium: Archival photobook, 220 pages.
Risograph and xerographic print on 120gsm Munken Pure Rough paper. Spiral bound with hard cover.
Object number: UAC 1179
DescriptionPoppy studied BA Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins. She says, ''If & When...' is a partly Riso printed, collaborative publication responding to deep-rooted judgments in dominant discourses about women’s reproductive decisions. It centres the voices of seven mothers who became parents at a younger age than culturally expected. Through their personal handwriting, objects, disposable camera photos and archival imagery, they share authentic and nuanced experiences of motherhood. 'If & When...' is also auto ethnographic, marking the first time I draw directly from my experience of becoming a mum at age 21, midway through university. Through publishing, I build community, platform alternative narratives, engage with participant-led research, and facilitate storytelling with care'.
