The Triangle
There are few neighbourhoods – in London or anywhere else – that are charged with a spirit and sense of place like the streets and markets around Brixton Road, Atlantic Road and Coldharbour Lane – locally referred to as the Brixton Triangle.
Today, maybe more than ever before, Brixton is a place of contrasts and colliding cultures with a complex history marked by struggles for equality, justice, and self-determination. The current wave of gentrification is only the latest episode in a succession of profound transformations that have kept changing the face of the area over the decades.
I’ve been living here ever since I came to London from Germany 25 years ago. It’s fair to say it’s a community that has taken me a good while to build a relationship with, sometimes making me feel as much an alien as I did the day I first arrived.
The camera has often helped me make sense of a location, to see its beauty, its flaws and contradictions more clearly. The camera has also been my armour, allowing me to approach complete strangers in a way I would otherwise not have been able to.
While the photos present a deeply personal perspective on my own neighbourhood, I’m also making universal observations that I hope resonate far beyond south London, touching upon themes such as spirit, pride, dignity, transformation and resilience.