Creativity Works - Visual Storytelling with Magnum Photos

The centrepiece is me holding up a childhood photo against what would have been my estate, before it got knocked down. Growing up, there was always conversations about finding a place to stay, people were always talking about looking for homes, and moving away into the abstract. Fortunately, when we had to move, we had it better than others and were able stay in Tower Hamlets (East London). Staying allowed me to witness the night and day change that occurred, for better or worse. I see people come and go. What was a tightly knit community has now turned into a place with division and alienation, the manifestation of which has left the community fragmented as it searches for its new identity. There is silence in this transition, like commuters on a train towards their destination. There is silence in people willing to bring up this topic. There is silence in the distance between drifting people, newcomers or old. So I thought it would be fitting for there to be silence between the observer and the pictured. Like a spirit wandering through Tower Hamlets. I wanted there to be no judgement in the mood of the photos, through being this silent observer. Constant change creates a blur, I felt I needed to capture the current iteration of Tower Hamlets, just to capture the feel and look of the place, before it changes, because these things will vanish once change occurs. Let this exhibition freeze time for you.