London Youth

This is a quiet but powerful project capturing the thoughtful and innocent side of London’s teenagers. Too often, inner city kids are portrayed in a negative light or through the lens of fashion photography. Mährlein’s portraits remind us of the humanity and individuality of a generation that is often overlooked or vilified. The images are shot with natural light, in urban environments where the kids play football, basketball, skate or cycle. Mährlein, who has only recently graduated himself and is a keen skater, was inspired to start the project at a time when the city’s youths were portrayed in a negative light by the media in the wake of the 2011 riots. He wanted to show the kids he was used to interacting with at the skate park in a positive light, and from then on the project developed into this fascinating collection.
• A powerful series of portraits of inner-city teenagers alongside their thoughts about modern life

This is a quiet but powerful project capturing the thoughtful and innocent side of London’s teenagers. Too often, inner city kids are portrayed in a negative light or through the lens of fashion photography. Mährlein’s portraits remind us of the humanity and individuality of a generation that is often overlooked or vilified. The images are shot with natural light, in urban environments where the kids play football, basketball, skate or cycle. Mährlein, who has only recently graduated himself and is a keen skater, was inspired to start the project at a time when the city’s youths were portrayed in a negative light by the media in the wake of the 2011 riots. He wanted to show the kids he was used to interacting with at the skate park in a positive light, and from then on, the project developed into this fascinating collection.