Windrush- Leave to Remain: a series by Pål Hansen

The series includes three past clients, Sylvester Lord Marshall, Bevis Roy Simmett and George Poleon, who Praxis helped to get the papers they needed to prove their status in the UK. By sharing their experiences and telling their stories to the media, the three individuals also played a critical role in demonstrating how the scandal was devastating people’s lives. It is vital we continue to forefront the people affected, particularly as thousands are still waiting for justice and the Home Office just quietly disbanded the unit tasked with reforming the department. 

Hansen is one of London’s most published photographers with clients including Vogue and The Emmys and photographing individuals such as Nicole Kidman and the Queen of Denmark. ‘Windrush- Leave to Remain?’ is a personal project of Hansen produced in 2019 and previously exhibited in the gallery space of The Windrush Generation Legacy Association.

“Pal Hansen has photographed the victims of the Windrush scandal on a 5X4, large format, analogue camera. The old format camera was used as a symbol of history as well as giving each image value and each frame is carefully considered. After processing, the film was buried under ground, in British soil. This process has marked the portrait with scratches and bumps made by the earth to symbolise the scars and marks that Britain has put upon the individuals after having lived here for so many years. The film then also develops a physical root in the British landscape, much the same as the Windrush generation did when they helped rebuild war torn Britain. Finally, the process of burying the film also starts to erode the film, like the government attempts to erase the individuals from the British landscape and as a metaphor of the loss identity.” Pal Hansen - www.palhansen.com