Exploring the Lives of Remarkable People in East London
When I photographed this market trader resting on a cart, I was struck by how, despite the noise and movement around him, he seemed entirely absorbed in his own world—lost in thought. His posture, facial expression, and attire—especially the turban and coat—imbue him with a strong sense of character. He immediately draws the eye and invites a story. What is he thinking about—the past, the future, or a distant place?
Whitechapel Market has long been home to a rich mix of personalities, a place where individuals from many backgrounds come together, collectively reflecting the diversity of the wider world.
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Mixed Media Reflections on Human Experience
This collage is a layered meditation on movement, work, and the market place. The four people were all photographed on Whitechapel Road. All the elements in the composition are connected by a dreamlike landscape which examines the difference between human reality and the constructed world. The birds in the sky are free but are the people?
The two women in the market depend on the market workers to purchase food and other goods. The cart is empty. Has it become a prison or a trolley to take them on a journey that might relieve the drudgery of everyday life?
This market worker is moving an empty clothes trolley and could be thinking about the end of his days labour. The demeanor of both of the men hint at survival in uncertain conditions and hardship.
I’ve deliberately placed familiar objects into improbable contexts. Birds float freely overhead while humans remain grounded and burdened, creating a visual contrast between freedom and constraint. The presence of a clock hints at the pressures of time in peoples hectic lives. Furthermore it’s not a bird flying overhead but a Typhoon fighter jet representing the dangerous world we all live in today.
Ultimately, the artwork operates on multiple levels. Aesthetically, it uses contrast, balance, and abstraction to guide the viewer’s eye. Psychologically, it evokes tension and transition. Politically, it offers a subtle critique of systems that demand movement while limiting agency. By merging these layers I’ve tried explore the complexities of contemporary human experience.
You can buy a signed copy of my latest photo book here
Capturing Life in East London: A Photographer’s Journey
I took this photograph of Sandra in the pub she has run for many years in Spitalfields, the Golden Heart. She was talking with me and Hazuan Hashim, and she’s long been accustomed to me carrying a camera and photographing her, which allows me to capture these candid moments.
Here, her gesture is expressive and open-ended, inviting the viewer to imagine the conversation. The image feels intimate and immediate, capturing a fleeting emotional beat—one that is both relatable and deeply human, balancing humour with seriousness. I never tire of photographing Sandra.
You can buy a signed copy of my latest photo book here
Brick Lane and Beyond: East London in the 80s
1988.
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Man With A Suitcase On Brick Lane
I created this mixed-media work using a photograph I took on Brick Lane in the East End of London in the early 1980s. At that time many of the buildings along the lane were derelict or in serious disrepair. The man in the image has likely just bought the old suitcase at the Sunday market and is using a pushchair to transport it. Alternatively, he may have finished trying to sell the contents of the suitcase and is now heading home. Whatever the case, he appears quietly pleased with himself.
In developing the piece, I used photographic collage combined with graphic abstraction to explore themes of movement, time, and the individual’s relationship to structured environments. The man’s warmth and relaxed, almost cheerful demeanour contrasts sharply with the stylized background: a pink geometric grid that fills the upper portion of the image and a textured blue ground punctuated by organic, puddle-like shapes. This juxtaposition of documentary imagery and artificial design elements introduces a subtle tension, hinting—perhaps retrospectively—at the highly networked, commerce-driven landscape that would emerge around Brick Lane several decades later.
My buoyant subject appears isolated within this abstract environment, suggesting ideas of displacement, anonymity, or the quiet burdens of everyday life. His movement from left to right reinforces the sense of an ongoing journey, while the large suitcase may symbolically carry traces of personal history or accumulated experience. Through contrasts of texture, scale, and media, the composition aims to invite reflection on the relationship between the individual and the wider systems that shape modern urban life. Looking back, it is striking how profoundly life around Brick Lane has changed over the past forty years.
You can buy a signed copy of my latest photo book here
