STEP INTO THE VIBRANT WORLD OF CAMDEN PASSAGE
Dubbed one of London's top antique destinations since the 1950s, Islington’s Camden Passage has evolved into a hub of diversity. This cobbled, largely traffic-free side-street has witnessed decades of decline and transformation. Today, trendy nail bars and baristas sit alongside antique dealers and market traders. The range of restaurants includes Middle Eastern, European, Japanese, Austrian, South American and Chinese. There’s a cheese shop, a wine bar, a tea specialist, a traditional pub and three coffee shops. There’s also an underlying tension. Rents are rising and the independent traders are under threat from chains with deep pockets. It’s thriving but it’s not always easy.
In the four years I’ve been documenting Camden Passage I’ve counted 18 businesses that have closed their doors only to be replaced by 18 new ones. Twas ever thus. I’ve seen a gift shop become a coffee shop but there are people here who remember the same building 50 years ago when it served as a funeral parlour. The Art Gallery was once a toy shop, a vintage shop was a bag shop and the entry way on the side of the sushi restaurant used to be a shop selling dog food! It’s constantly changing but it’s always thriving.
‘This Is Camden Passage’ celebrates the people and the personalities of this resilient little street. It’s about the diverse people who shop, eat and drink there and the local business owners who offer not just products but a sense of belonging, safeguarding the essence of community. In many respects it’s the story of every British High Street and what it means to belong. Streets like this matter because they are the lifeblood of local communities where people come together to shop, relax, exchange ideas and support one another. They should be treasured, nurtured and supported by locals and when necessary by the government. If we lose them to developers or online shopping giants we’ll lose a vital pillar of community life.
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Artist statement
I am interested in people and communities and how the two interact. Whether it’s the street we live on, a local club, church, town, city or even a country - communities can be the making of us where we feel safe or leave us feeling isolated and abandoned. When I photograph people I’m looking for what makes them stand out: a particular look, the way they dress or decorate their home or workspace.
I also work as a video presenter and singer/songwriter I consider my work as a photographer another way of communicating. As a singer, I learned to become sensitive to reading a room and understanding how my audience was feeling. I think this sensitivity helps me relate to the people I photograph and hopefully reveal the truth behind their facades.
I am largely self-taught with a passion for documentary and portraiture. My work has been seen in group exhibitions including the Trieste Photo Festival, Shutter Hub Year End exhibition, F-Stop Magazine's 20th Anniversary exhibition, the Glasgow Gallery of Photography (Masters of Street Photography exhibition) and Decode in the United States. I’ve been officially selected for the International Photography Awards 2022, selected for the Historic England National Archive, published in the New York Times, in biographies, on billboards and (most impressively) tea-towels.
