Lee Karen Stow grew up on Greatfield from 1966 and now lives in the East Riding.

A documentary photographer and visual researcher, she works long-term with women survivors of war, conflict and persecution through visual self-representation and visible activism.

In 2015 she visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan to report on the 70th Anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombings. She began working with female survivors and their descendants who actively advocate for international peace through the NGO ANT-Hiroshima (Asian Network of Trust). They introduced her to the A-bombed survivor trees, including the cherry trees, defiantly growing tall and beautiful at what is now the Hiroshima Peace Park.

Each Spring, Lee and young people in Hull and Hiroshima gather fallen cherry blossoms to photograph, create artworks and letters to share across the miles. ‘Blossom Buddies’, now in its third year, is a unique cross-cultural exchange of friendships, stories and thoughts, told through the beauty and symbolism of the cherry blossoms.