The Roots Remain

Forests have historically blanketed the UK. For centuries, humans held a symbiotic coexistence with nature inside these woodlands. This bond has fuelled imaginative stories of wonderment and warning, passed down through generations and ingrained as folklore. Oral traditions transmitted through epochs of time mimic hidden root systems, connecting entire forests. Through complex and deep-rooted networks, information can be spread from tree to tree.

Urbanisation at the dawn of modernity saw ancient woodlands decline, increasing the distance between nature’s influence and humans. Consequently, folklore as an oral tradition has all but disappeared, despite its historic relevance. The Roots Remain speculates on contemporary interconnections between humans and the forest, and the stories born in these ever-dwindling habitats.

Shot after dark, the images elicit sequestered, spectral, age-old narratives. Laws summons archaic motifs found in the woods across a wide range of British folklore, from banished hermits to supernatural encounters. Together, they build an otherworldly realm where fact and fable become one. Scouring the wood to its darkest corners, fear and wonder amalgamate to awaken forgotten traditions.

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​The Roots Remain Photobook:

A self-produced, handbound book of the series, incorporating various medias including lino-cut artwork and poetry. Printed on various sustainably-sourced paper types including black and coloured paper.