Barrio
Barrio is a project made in collaboration with Peruvian artist, Mary Ann Vargas and the Southwark Playhouse, using photography and illustration to document the local business owners trading in Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre before they tore it down. Most of the traders are from countries in Latin America but hail from all around the world, dedicated to the community there.
The displacement of the traders marks a pivotal moment for many of them, as most of them operate informally and therefore at risk of being crucially affected by the shopping centre being torn down.
The displacement of the traders marks a pivotal moment for many of them, as most of them operate informally and therefore at risk of being crucially affected by the shopping centre being torn down.
Selected photos
On a number of occasions, the local business owners at Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre were documented through black and white film photography, complimenting interviews and large-scale drawings made to celebrate their lives and contribution to the community.
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Selected Illustrations
These large-scale drawings are portraits of local activists and traders in Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre, created specifically for Barrio. This project documents and celebrates their contributions to the local area before their shops are closed, subject to London regeneration displacement. All images are 1m x 2m in size.
Exhibition
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Following a successful public sharing on 2 December, a series of large-scale drawings and photographs were exhibited as part of a collaborative exhibition, Barrio, on March 3, 2019 at Southwark Playhouse in south London.
This exhibition celebrated and documented the business owners inside Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre which is being torn down due to extensive regeneration in the area. The show particularly focuses on the Latin American community and key activists, attempting to highlight the difficulties facing these business owners as they work towards adequate compensation in their relocation. |