In 2017, Sean Davey was commissioned by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to produce a documentary photography series on the drawdown of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. With nearly a month on the ground in Honiara and surrounding districts, Sean’s personal and engaging approach with Solomon Islanders produced a suite of photographs that reveals the intimate daily lives of one of Australia’s closest Pacific neighbours.

‘I always desire to get close to people, not primarily in a physical sense, but in a personal one. Looking at these images, I can feel that desire to be near, to be drawn into the lives of the people who welcome me and allow me to photograph them. This is what I most enjoy and learn from photography, closeness to others.’ - Sean Davey