Byron Mohammad Hamzah

Image from “The flower and the wall - the stateless youths of semporna” project by Byron Mohammad Hamzah

Biography

Instagram: @byronhamzah

I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I am currently enrolled on the Masters degree in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism in the University of The Arts, London. As a gay Muslim from a conservative South-east Asian background, I am drawn to complex issues of those who live in the margins. In 2020, I won the British Journal of Photography Portrait of Britain Prize. I was also shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize in 2022. In 2023, my project ‘All That Is Left Is Us' was selected as one of the finalists in the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize where my work was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

The project

In my home country Malaysia, statelessness is a complex ongoing issue with far-reaching implications to those that are affected. The iniquitous citizenship requirements have rendered countless of people in stateless limbo with this community being one of the most discriminated groups in Malaysia. Despite being born here, they are denied access to basic needs such as education and healthcare, leading to many socio-economic problems such as homelessness, illiteracy and drug-abuse.

Whilst it is estimated that there are at least 10,000 stateless people in West Malaysia, the figures in East Malaysia remains unknown but is suspected to be considerably higher. The issue is particularly problematic in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, where it is compounded by complex historical, political and migratory factors that make this an even more challenging matter to rectify. Since late 2023, I have been working as a volunteer teacher with Borneo Komrad, an NGO which has the objective to provide free education to the stateless children of Sabah by establishing several free schools around the region. I was based in Semporna, a coastal town with a large enclave of the stateless, particularly coming from the Bajau Laut community, an ethnic group known for their sea nomadic traditions. 

Image from “The flower and the wall - the stateless youths of semporna” project by Byron Mohammad Hamzah

Image from “The flower and the wall - the stateless youths of semporna” project by Byron Mohammad Hamzah

During my time there, my teaching activity went in parallel with my photographic endeavour; I wanted to document the lives of the stateless youths and their community in a more empathetic and respectful manner. Over time, this project evolved into something so much more meaningful. Through the enthusiasm in the youths I taught and seeing how photography excited them, I saw the potential for a deeper engagement between the students and my photography.

This led to a collaboration of work between me and the students. This included conventional image documentation and many collaborative artistic constructions with the youths such as the annotation of their thoughts and opinions onto printed images of themselves and their community. Despite the injustice they experience, it is hoped that the outcome encapsulates the spirit of these youths; colourful, determined, full of hope and pride.