The forgetting is a series exploring ideas about loss. The loss of memory, loss of mobility, and watching a loved one fade away. The project explores the merge between the imaginary and reality, my grandfather's inability to differentiate between the two.

In late 2023, my grandfather was diagnosed with mixed dementia, and since has experienced several strokes, progressing his dementia. Since then, he’s experienced hallucinations, which I have taken inspiration from for my image making. To him, the hallucinations appeared to be a reality, causing him distress, for this reason, my work in intended to provoke similar emotions my grandfather experienced during this time: confusion, fear, and anxiety. These images have been paired with family archival images, which have been altered to reflect my grandfather's fading memories.

Through this work, I hope to convey the struggles of living with dementia and to start a conversation about memory loss, as well as creating a project reflecting my grandfather.

Lois Holland is an English photographer living in Brighton. She is about to start her final year at The University of Brighton. Her photographic practice is centred around topical societal struggles, focusing on how a photograph can be perceived and how the composition of an image can influence how the viewer considers certain societal issues. She has recently created a series showcasing some of the the hidden struggles prevalent in many peoples lives, which are not typically the focus of other lenses since they aren’t necessarily fashionable to capture.