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24 Genuine Portraits By Hilary Gauld That Shine A Light On Down Syndrome
Interview With Artist
For over a decade, photographer Hilary Gauld has been dedicated to capturing honest and powerful images of the Down syndrome community. What started in 2014 as a small project with the Waterloo Wellington Down Syndrome Society (WWDSS) has grown into a meaningful effort to change perceptions and promote inclusion through authentic storytelling.
This journey inspired DECADE, the 10th installment of Gauld’s collaboration with WWDSS, which was released on October 27th, 2024, during Down Syndrome Awareness Month. The DECADE documentary highlights the profound impact of Gauld’s work, featuring 62 individuals aged 1 to 36 and showcasing their diverse life experiences. Produced by Gauld and Digital Sabbath Film Company, it captures the journey of Gauld, WWDSS, and three families across three generations, reflecting on the progress made in media representation and the growing visibility of the Down syndrome community. For this article, we have collected 24 photographs from the series to share with you.
More info: Instagram | hilarygauld.com | decadedocumentary.com | x.com
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"DECADE is the celebration of a photo series with the same individuals with Down syndrome every year for a decade. This series was created to mark this incredible milestone and the impact our community project had on the world," Hilary Gauld told Bored Panda.
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#3
Seamus
According to Gauld, when she began this series years ago, there was very little imagery of people with Down syndrome available online. What did exist was often low quality and reinforced harmful stereotypes. "I recognized the gap and committed my time alongside this community group to help build better imagery online with those who have Down syndrome to better represent their lived experiences."
#4
Evan
#5
Adam
"Each year, we took on a different stereotype and created a photo series around it to help educate our local community. This quickly grew and spread worldwide. Today, things look much different, and there is a far better representation of people with Down syndrome. We are proud of the work we did and will continue to do in this space."
#6
Faye
Fat Harry (Oi / You) 6 months ago
Ah, a fellow ginger! She, of course, carries it off much better than I ever did!
#7
Kira
#8
Noelle
#14
Lucy
#15
Dadyar
#19
Ella
#24
Russell
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Forrest Hobbs 6 months ago
So much better than the celebrity dross BP seems to be filling up with. Every photo put a smile on my face. Thank you. A welcome antidote to the general badness of the news.
Forrest Hobbs 6 months ago
So much better than the celebrity dross BP seems to be filling up with. Every photo put a smile on my face. Thank you. A welcome antidote to the general badness of the news.
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