Belgian photographer Frieke Janssens is known for her subtly startling work, making her in demand commercially. However, in her personal work it could be argued she seems to shine brightest. In her provocative series “Smoking Kids”, Janssens’ imagery weaves itself around the line between being slightly discomfiting, to darkly humorous, then back to disconcerting again. This reason, as well as the dreamy luminosity of her serene subjects, makes the series remain compelling throughout.
“A YouTube video of a chainsmoking Indonesian toddler inspired me to create this series, “Smoking Kids”. The video highlighted the cultural differences between the east and west, and questioned notions of smoking being a mainly adult activity. Adult smokers are the societal norm, so I wanted to isolate the viewer’s focus upon the issue of smoking itself. I felt that children smoking would have a surreal impact upon the viewer and compel them to truly see the acts of smoking rather than making assumptions about the person doing the act.”
Click here to see more of Frieke Janssens work (and read about how she created the series). Written by Kirsten Anderson
