At the age of 22, Robert Darch had a stroke, followed by a period of ill-health that would affect him for the majority of his 20s. As a coping mechanism during convalescence, he retreated into a world of fictional narratives, of indoor spaces and eventually a physical move back to his family home in Devon. Slowly, he began to reset his narratives, his place in the world, and the expectations of his youth. The book Vale is available to buy here. All images copyright Robert Darch. All captions from the book’s essay by V&A curator Dan Cox
