PUPILS from Reading have featured in a project created by the National Portrait Gallery in London which displays pictures of the nation in lockdown.

Spearheaded by The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the National Portrait Gallery, Hold Still was launched in May 2020 to create a portrait of the UK during lockdown, the gallery website explains.

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People were invited to submit a photographic portrait taken during May and June focussing on three themes.

The National Portrait Gallery said these themes were Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness.

More than 31,000 submissions were sent in from across and the country and judges selected a final 100.

The portraits chosen include a piece made by students from Maiden Erlegh School in Reading called 'In school: still here'.

Reading Chronicle:

The pupils in the portrait were aged between 13-15 years old.

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The National Portrait Gallery explains the students came to school everyday during lockdown and life isolated at school became their new normal.

The website added: "We asked them how they felt about this life and asked them to ‘destroy’ their portraits to capture their mood.

"This is their collective response."

Another titled 'At the end of a shift' taken by Neil Palmer shows a studio portrait of Tendai, a recovery and anaesthetics nurse, who was born in Zimbabwe, and now lives in Reading.

Reading Chronicle:

Neil explained: "I wanted to portray her caring side as well as a look of concern and uncertainty that many of us have experienced during this pandemic.

"It’s why I chose a lower than normal angle and asked her to look off camera, placing her half way down in the frame."

'The gardener' taken by Phoebe Costard shows a portrait of her father who she explained "became one with our garden" during lockdown.

Reading Chronicle:

She added he "inspired us as a family to pitch in and come closer together in this time".

To look at more of the portraits visit the National Portrait Gallery website here.