These photos explore one girl’s coming-of-age

Growing up can be tough: love interests, awkward puberty, bad hair days, sassing your mum. The state of female adolescence is constantly changing, when you’re not quite a girl but definitely not a fully-fledged, brown suit, get-a-mortgage woman.

Ruby Robinson, a recent photography graduate from the Manchester School of Art, seeks to capture that uncertain chasm between childhood and adulthood in her dreamy series “Flush”. Robinson, originally from North Yorkshire but now residing in Manchester, describes her work as immersive, honest and playful, as she delves into the sometimes awkward and emotional stages of our teens.  

What’s perceived as youthful and immature is juxtaposed with the adult. The still life shots consist of party balloons, sliced watermelon and pastel pink upholstery, nestled among portraits of young women, backs to the camera, with the twisted buns of the 90s we all used to sport and bodies strewn with blooming flowers. The project evokes the small changes, as well as the big, when we finally come-of-age. Whether it’s how many bobbles you use for your hair, how often you wash your face or the forever-changing landscape of your body, the coming-of-age process is documented by the bright-eyed and inquisitive lens of Robinson.

To see more of Robinson’s work, click here