In early 2023, Forbes reported that burnout – a state of physical and emotional ex- haustion – is on the rise globally. For photographer Sarah Doyle (b. 1981), whose clients include Urban Outfitters and Sony Music, abstraction has been a release from everyday stresses. “I’d find myself visually overwhelmed by other work, and maybe by the world, too,” she recounts. “This is what I did in return.” Make the World Go Away is playful and fun. Sand-covered staircases, teetering matches and stacked pink discs are positioned against bright pop and pastel backgrounds. Doyle, who is Dublin-based, uses experimentation as a way of travelling to – and inventing – new places. “I’m engaged in an exchange with the objects, they feel like characters to me. These colours, lines, light and shadow are all expressions of a place where things can be worked out and possibilities are endless. It’s about creating your own world.” sarahdoylephotography.com | @sarahdoylephotographer

All images courtesy Sarah Doyle.