Millie Edwards

‘Untamed Joy’ represents ages 2-6, the version of me that existed before I knew I was supposed to be anything else. I wore what I wanted, didn’t have to think before I spoke and lived like no one was watching me. The volume and colour in these pieces reflect that childhood freedom, that joy that came from simply being myself. Back then, self-expression wasn’t questioned, only lived.

‘White Noise’ represents ages 13-16, I didn’t want to stand out anymore. I tried so hard to blend in, shrinking myself to desperately try and avoid attention. I thought if I could just say the right thing or wear the right clothes, maybe they’d stop. But no matter how hard I tried, it didn’t work. I was still too much, or not enough. I started to disappear on purpose — not because I wanted to, but because it felt like the only way to stay safe. This look is about that silence. The kind that isn’t peaceful.

‘The Word that Changed Everything’ represents ages 16-19, at the age of 16 I got my ADHD diagnosis and realised I was autistic, and it changed everything. Finally, there was a reason for why I’d always felt different. It brought relief, but it also came with grief. I had to unlearn so much of what I thought was just me being ‘wrong’. I was figuring out who I really was underneath the years of masking. It felt like starting from scratch, but I now realise I was, slowly but surely, rebuilding someone who had always been there.