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Photographs by Mika Ferreira, Tétange. Shot with the right thumb.

email@uniquemf.com

Reverse

Role reversal between people with and without disabilities. A collaboration with the Ateliers Kräizbierg.

I don’t just want to take beautiful photos. I want my pictures to carry a message and make people think.

It was important to me to bring disability to the fore: to show the strength of people with disabilities and to question what people call ‘normal’.

Twelve pictures in which the roles of people with and without disabilities are reversed express exactly that.

Black and white: a man holds out a spoonful of food to a man in a wheelchair at a table.

The usual

A man in a wheelchair holds out a forkful of cake to a laughing woman.

Reverse

Reverse, all twelve photographs

  1. A man in a powered wheelchair holds out a forkful of cake to a woman who leans towards him, laughing. A phone sits in a holder on the wheelchair.

    Sweet

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

    Sponsored by Schëppe Siwen

  2. On a sunny street, a woman in a powered wheelchair rides alongside a cyclist and pushes him along with her hand.

    Push

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  3. A man in a wheelchair holds the lift door open with his arm outstretched while a woman talks on the phone and leafs through papers.

    Busy

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  4. Office: a man in a floral shirt with an arm splint leans towards a colleague who is writing at a desk among papers.

    Intenso

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

    Sponsored by Wild Solutions & Anchor

  5. Assisted bathroom: a person in a wheelchair holds a stack of towels ready; in the background a man showers with his back to the camera.

    Drops

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  6. Changing room: a woman in a powered wheelchair helps a woman sitting on the bench into her jumper.

    Wear

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  7. A woman in a wheelchair blow-dries the hair of a smiling woman in an orange bathrobe.

    Beauty

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

    Sponsored by Monsieur Henri Grethen

  8. A blonde woman sits laughing on the lap of a man in a wheelchair who is driving up a ramp.

    Trip

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

    Sponsored by S.A.R. le Grand-Duc

  9. In the garden: three women at a planter, one holds a red umbrella over the others, all of them laughing.

    Smile

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  10. Taken close to the floor: a hand passes a roll of toilet paper under a cubicle wall, behind it the wheel of a wheelchair.

    Thanks

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  11. Two men restock a drinks machine; one stands next to his wheelchair, the other kneels between packs of bottles.

    Refresh

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

    Sponsored by Sodexo Luxembourg

  12. A man in a wheelchair uses a stethoscope to take the blood pressure of a woman in green hospital scrubs.

    Rhythm

    Reverse, 2022

    1200 × 1200 mm, Dibond

  • Seated eye level. The centre of every picture sits on this line, drawn here at 1.25 m.
  • Red dot: sponsored
1 of 12

Large formats for a good cause

Each of the twelve pictures exists once as a large format, for purchase or sponsorship. I give most of the proceeds to the Fondation Kräizbierg.

Size
1200 × 1200 mm
Material
Dibond
Purchase or sponsorship
€1,000
Sponsorships
5 of 12
  • A man in a powered wheelchair holds out a forkful of cake to a woman who leans towards him, laughing. A phone sits in a holder on the wheelchair.

    Sweet

    Sponsored by Schëppe Siwen

  • On a sunny street, a woman in a powered wheelchair rides alongside a cyclist and pushes him along with her hand.

    Push

  • A man in a wheelchair holds the lift door open with his arm outstretched while a woman talks on the phone and leafs through papers.

    Busy

  • Office: a man in a floral shirt with an arm splint leans towards a colleague who is writing at a desk among papers.

    Intenso

    Sponsored by Wild Solutions & Anchor

  • Assisted bathroom: a person in a wheelchair holds a stack of towels ready; in the background a man showers with his back to the camera.

    Drops

  • Changing room: a woman in a powered wheelchair helps a woman sitting on the bench into her jumper.

    Wear

  • A woman in a wheelchair blow-dries the hair of a smiling woman in an orange bathrobe.

    Beauty

    Sponsored by Monsieur Henri Grethen

  • A blonde woman sits laughing on the lap of a man in a wheelchair who is driving up a ramp.

    Trip

    Sponsored by S.A.R. le Grand-Duc

  • In the garden: three women at a planter, one holds a red umbrella over the others, all of them laughing.

    Smile

  • Taken close to the floor: a hand passes a roll of toilet paper under a cubicle wall, behind it the wheel of a wheelchair.

    Thanks

  • Two men restock a drinks machine; one stands next to his wheelchair, the other kneels between packs of bottles.

    Refresh

    Sponsored by Sodexo Luxembourg

  • A man in a wheelchair uses a stethoscope to take the blood pressure of a woman in green hospital scrubs.

    Rhythm

Get in touch about a large format

The road to Reverse

  1. I find a way to take photographs with my disability.

  2. I decide to make a photo calendar for my circle of friends and plan everything out.

  3. The first shoots are scheduled. Because of the pandemic, they are all cancelled.

  4. Shoots are planned again, and again they are cancelled because of the pandemic.

  5. I start at Kräizbierg again and present my concept there. That way I bring my art to more people and support the Ateliers Kräizbierg, which employ more than 100 people with disabilities.

What I want to achieve with Reverse

  • A disability is not an obstacle.
  • Making the abilities of people with disabilities visible.
  • Questioning normality. What is normal, anyway?
  • Being recognised as a photographer, even with my disability.
A hand holds a camera lens; a wheelchair scene is reflected in its glass.

It started with a calendar

The twelve pictures became the calendar ‘Reverse 2023’. It was produced entirely with the involvement of people with disabilities, on 100% recycled paper, made in Europe.

677 photos, 350+ hours of work, 23.8 GB of material: that is how much went into the twelve pictures.

Voices from the Ateliers Kräizbierg

It was an honour to support Mika on his project as secretary. I have rarely seen a project so neatly organised and carried through with so much passion and joy from start to finish. You can see it in the result. I am absolutely delighted. Thank you, Mika!

Et war mer eng Éier fir de Mika op sengem Projet als Sekretär duerften ze ënnerstëtzen. Seelen en Projet erlieft deen esou propper organiséiert war a mat esou vill Leidenschaft a Freet vun Ufank bis Schluss duerchgefouert ginn ass. An dat gesäit een um Resultat! Ech sinn hellewech begeeschtert! Merci Mika!

Marc BissenChargé de la Direction, Ateliers Kräizbierg

Believe in your ideas and they will surely come true. I will encourage you and help you see your dream through to the end.

Crois en tes idées et elles se réaliseront sûrement. Je vais t'encourager et t'aider à réaliser ton rêve jusqu'au bout!

Lionel BeckerEducateur-Instructeur, Ateliers Kräizbierg

The whole idea of Reverse is simply brilliant. You get society thinking, and hopefully the penny will drop for one or two people.

Des ganz Iddi vum Reverse ass einfach genial. Du brengst d'Gesellschaft dozou ze iwwerleeën an hoffentlech geet bei deem een oder aneren eng Luucht un.

Melody LamhèneEducatrice, Ateliers Kräizbierg

A shoot with great professionalism. Mika knew exactly how he wanted to realise his idea in the picture, and he was able to direct us models well to get there.

Shooting mat groussem Professionalismuns!! Den Mika wousst genau wie hien seng Idee an sengem Bild duerchzestëllen an hued Eis (Models) an deem Sënn konnten gudd dirigeieren

Teresa DaddabboAssistante de Direction, Ateliers Kräizbierg

The voices are in Luxembourgish and French in the original. The English version is a translation.

Where Reverse has hung