Sophie Harris-Taylor’s photography begins with the personal and expands into the universal. Moving between documentary and self-portrature, her work explores relationships, emotion, and the everyday with quiet intensity and depth.
This exhibition brings together two complementary series: Present Fathers and MTWTFSS, each emerging from Sophie’s lived experience—one as a mother and partner, the other as a witness and observer.
In Present Fathers, Harris-Taylor explores fatherhood from the dual perspective of having been fathered herself and of observing her partner with their children. The series offers an intimate and empathetic look at early fatherhood—a transformative stage often overlooked. At a moment when conversations around parenting roles are evolving, these portraits give voice to fathers, capturing not only their presence but also their emotions, vulnerabilities, and quiet triumphs.
Alongside this, MTWTFSS presents a small selection from Harris-Taylor’s ongoing visual diary. Shot on 35mm film, these photographs emerge from love and the desire to make sense of life’s fleeting moments. They trace her journey through motherhood and her relationship with the man she portrays—revealing tenderness, complexity, and a quiet masculinity that challenges traditional stereotypes.
Historically, the father was cast as provider, disciplinarian, and silent bearer of hardship—a figure of authority central to the family. Since the late 20th century, however, social change has redefined this role. Fathers are increasingly seen as nurturers, emotionally present, and engaged in relational equality. Photography has mirrored this transformation, moving from the solemn, composed figures of traditional family portraits to intimate depictions of everyday care, fatigue, and emotional exchange.
Present Fathers situates itself at the heart of these shifting representations. The exhibition invites viewers to consider the meanings of fatherhood, filtered through both social norms and personal memory. Some fathers are heroes, some absent, some contradictory—but all leave an imprint on the lives around them. Through Sophie Harris-Taylor’s lens, we are asked to reflect on what it means to be a father, to have one, or to remember one.
