Fiona Bowring, Toby: one of many (ART & CONCEPTUAL 2026)

Our Christmases are noisy, chaotic despite our plans and spreadsheets and emails and calls to and from. This year there were 40 of us, give or take. We met in a scout hall, our usual sister-host having downsized since the last. It was hot, and busy and noisy, with food and dishes and drinks and games and gifts. There were little ones and big ones, five siblings who once shared a name and one just gone. Sometimes my nephew Toby joins us for Christmas, and sometimes not. Toby is a guitarist a lyricist, a singer a poet. Ideas inspire and assail him, and cannot be stemmed. This portrait was made at the edge of proceedings. In a family like ours. it can be hard to find a quiet spot to rest a busy mind.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.