Exploring Spitalfields: A Photographic Journey

I remember taking the photograph above because, at the time, it was so unusual to see anyone carrying a mobile phone. I had the impression the man was holding it almost as an accessory — a statement about who he was, perhaps even an attempt to impress the woman he was walking with. Back then, mobile phones were extremely expensive.

Today, mobile phones are ubiquitous and almost invisible; in this image, the device is conspicuous and slightly awkward in scale. It captures a moment of technological transition — the early appearance of portable communication in everyday urban life.

In retrospect, the photograph documents the beginning of a shift that would eventually lead to smartphones becoming one of the most dominant objects in modern life.

For my first exhibition in London, at the Montefiore Community Education Centre in Spitalfields, I printed a huge image of the phone. I laminated the print and displayed it on the floor. People were able to walk over it.

You can buy a signed copy of my latest photo book here