Seconded By: Ioannis Galanopoulos Papavasileiou,
“SON” is a deeply personal and socially engaged photographic project dedicated to the life of my child with autism. As both a mother and a photographer, I faced the challenge—and the responsibility—of turning an intimate, often painful reality into images shared with the world. This work is a story about love, silence, and the search for connection in a world that often excludes difference.
Through black-and-white photographs that are both carefully composed and emotionally honest, I explore not only my son’s daily life but also his invisible inner world—filled with quiet battles, strength, and beauty. “SYN” is an invitation to see those who are rarely seen—not just my child, but all children whose lives remain outside the public eye. The project seeks empathy, understanding, and a call for change.
SON
In his silence, he dreams of flying. The bird becomes both a symbol of freedom and the weight of being different.
SON
Only in the water does he feel calm and free. There, the noise of the world fades, the body becomes weightless, and thoughts flow gently. It is his safe place, where anything feels possible
SON
One boy, two ways of seeing.
SON
The world frightens him, yet he wants to understand it. Every creature, even the tiniest, has a place in his quiet universe.
SON
The world is out there, yet often hidden behind a veil of noise, fear, and misunderstanding. And he watches — silent, but present.
SON
His voice exists, even when silent. Every silence holds an attempt to connect — a call for understanding.
SON
The cake is here, the candles burn, the balloons laugh. And he just watches — waiting for something that may never come. For a child on the autism spectrum, celebrations don’t always bring joy. They can mean sensory overload, confusion, and loneliness.
SON
His waking dream. Where time has no shape and thoughts are made of light.
SON
His voice rarely reaches the world, but in this moment, the forest hears him. A silent scream that says: I am here.
SON
This image — a Kuker, a figure from ancient Bulgarian tradition that drives away evil — is more than folklore. It is a promise of protection. Of hope. Of a world where the child no longer needs to hide, but can be seen and accepted just as he is.