Launch: Firehawks

Firehawks is a project by Stephen King. It is the first of its kind and the culmination of years of research, beginning with a collaboration with Open Eye Gallery in 2021, where Stephen explored his own experience of firesetting.

The root of the exhibition’s title links to the phenomenon of the Firehawk, an Australian bird who creates bushfires by dropping already burning sticks in an attempt to direct prey fleeing an original blaze. They actively transform their landscapes to ensure their nourishment in times of drought and trauma. The project will explore the correlation of the act of the Firehawk bird with people who set fires.

Stephen King said: “From a deeply personal point, I have reflected upon early experiences with firesetting and the often criminal framing surrounding it. This exhibition specifically explores the complex psychology of child trauma and its connection to firesetting, offering an overview of the evolutionary aspects of this behaviour. The work attempts to examine the broader relationship between children and fire, shedding light on the intricate psychological processes that shape our understanding of this primal connection and why people are drawn to this element during a traumatic experience.”

“Through working with fire services, individuals with lived-experience and professionals who work within the sector such as psychiatrists, researchers and academics, I have been struck even further by the need to tell their collective story. The language of photography has the ability to bridge barriers and destigmatise what is an incredibly sensitive subject, and the culmination of this project will hopefully bring a positive platform to those who are working through their trauma, who have overcome it, and show audiences that the work of frontline services in the UK goes much further than ‘putting out fires’.”

Stephen is collaborating with Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and London Fire Brigade as well as Joanna Foster criminologist and author of ‘Children and Teenagers Who Set Fires: Why they do it and how to help’. He has been directly working with individuals with a history of fire setting behaviour and the professionals who work with them.

Elizabeth Wewiora, head of social practice at Open Eye Gallery said: “It is so exciting to see the ‘Firehawks’ project become a reality this year within our galleries, as we’ve been discussing the project with Stephen for more than five years. Like most good, socially engaged projects however, this shouldn’t seem a surprise, as working collaboratively with communities to shape and visualise stories which are important to them takes time. And ‘Firehawks’ is a very particular story, which needs to be explored with care and sensitivity; something we hold real value in at Open Eye Gallery.

“Stephen’s approach considers the anonymity of all involved whilst still opening up a visual conversation for our audiences as it explores why people can be drawn to fire during traumatic experiences in their lives, and moreover how wider society and our frontline services respond and deal with this. Stephen’s photographic work leans into the metaphorical and surreal which is also a welcome alternative approach to socially engaged photographic imagery, which can tend to sit more within a documentary style. We can’t wait to see the work come together in the gallery this September.”