Brick Lane: A Community Portrait
A collaboration with Kois Miah and Alokita is an outdoor exhibition that tells the stories of British Bangladeshis from Brick Lane, the iconic London Street that became the heart of a fledgling community in the 1960s. The first installment in a series of photographs and video interviews captures the narratives of the migration journey. The exhibition records the complexities of transition to the East End of London and how the migration journey shaped the lives of successive generations in the British-Bangladeshi community, both first arrivals from the 50s and 60s, as well as the second-generation of British Bangladeshis growing up amid the social complexities of the 1970s and 1980s. These intimate and tender photographs celebrate the ordinary men and women who have helped make Brick Lane the extraordinary community it is today – and, through their struggles, helped make the British-Bangladeshi community such an important part of modern Britain. Above all, the project aims to visually record the last of those scarcely documented voices that represent a generation before they pass and leave a void in our understanding of our recent history – a void compounded by the process of intense gentrification that is now fracturing what’s left of a community.
The exhibition is a work in development, which was exhibited in November 2023 as part of A Season of Bangla Drama
“This project is very personal. It's a reflection of the struggles of our mothers and fathers; it highlights their resilience and strength in overcoming what was a hostile environment to create a better future for their children in Brick Lane and Tower Hamlets.”
Kois Miah, Photographer
