Justin Maxon, USA
Mui and Pha

Mui, a Buddhist, has been living homeless for the last five years on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam, with her five-year-old son, Pha. Although Mui has embraced her current living conditions, they have had to fend for themselves mostly because both of her previous husbands are no longer around, and in Vietnam, a woman's livelihood often depends on her husband. The boy's father died of a heroin overdose around the time he was born, and Mui's second husband was recently put in a mental institution. They sleep on straw mats on the ground, and scavenge through garbage for their food. Even though they face many challenges daily, they are able to find happiness in their simple affection for each other. During my time with Mui and Pha, I was touched by the connection between them and the intimacy of care that held their lives together. I wanted my images to reflect this intimacy, and mirror my own internalised reaction to their relationship. All too often the modern connotations of poverty and homelessness is that of desperation and lacking. However, with Mui and Pha, they relationship redefines this model of thought and shows that people with few possessions can find joy in the simple aspects of their lives.