Raw, contemplative and authentic works from a community of women photographers will be celebrated in a month-long exhibition opening this week in London. In the approach to Photo London, On Top of the World Looking Over the Edge will tell an alternative story of contemporary photography, with works by 16 artists.

The show will run from 02.05 until 30.05 at community-based gallery space They Come. They Sit. They Go. in Hackney’s Finch Art Café. It has been curated by artist Laura Hynd and features largely unseen works by women who participate in Hynd’s successful workshop The Letting Go and her new vibrant and supportive photographic community, Bloom School. This first exhibition from Bloom School fluidly connects experiences largely encountered by women.

“These works have been created by brave and bold women whose strength, vulnerability and growth is palpable,” says Hynd. “The title of the exhibition is a line from a Kate Bush song that resonates with me as a woman who has the full gamut of emotions. I wanted to show work that combines the feeling of deep fear, despair and emotion that leads us to growth, wisdom and possibility. There is so much tenderness in the exhibition.”

Hynd has taken a unique approach to presenting the exhibition, choosing a venue with a strong commitment to artist communities that mirrors her work with Bloom School and The Letting Go. Describing the space as “a beautiful oasis of green” she has responded to the relaxed physical environment to tease out connections within the photographs.

“The work is hung with tape,” says Hynd. “It is perfect in its imperfection. The hang style replicates my studio at home and allows creative movement and reflection. It feels alive and counter to what might normally be expected of a clean-lined exhibition. I believe some viewers will spend a lot of time taking in the rich tapestry the photographs create. I have selected works that, for me, communicate with the other works in the exhibition, making links, connection and support - just as a village community would.

“I chose May because of Photo London, Peckham 24, it is such a great month for photography in the capital. There are more people interested photography in London at this time and may want to see something more subversive and less clean. I would like this exhibition to be a refreshing change; for it to feel alive.”