The Face of Church Street is a new photo exhibition by Richard Nolan-Neylan which puts the spotlight on small business owners in Church Street, Stoke Newington, London. Church Street is a rare street in modern Britain, with no corporate chain stores, only independent traders. An exhibition of Nolan-Neylan’s images are on display at The Blue Legume Café in Church Street, Stoke Newington from 16th October - 13th November.

Fujifilm UK Press Release

The Face of Church Street exhibition

Fashion photographer Richard Nolan-Neylan, presents his first independent British exhibition, ‘The Face of Church Street’, featuring portraits of small business owners in Church Street, Stoke Newington, London.

Church Street is a rare street in modern Britain. Up until very recently, it was one of the few remaining shopping streets left in the country that had no corporate chain stores, only independent traders.

Richard has been documenting the owners of Church Street’s shops, bars and restaurants as an ongoing personal project for the past two years. He explains: “Independent shops and small businesses bring a potent feel of the community - those repeated encounters with recognised faces, morning salutes and conversations make us feel known, involved and included in the mechanisms of a small society.”

He continued: “Entering an independent retailer’s shop is like entering their home - the space is filled with the nuances of their life. As customers we are invited inside the life and premises of the shop-owner; we taste, we view, we feel his world.  The persona of ‘Stokey’ is in a slow state of flux. As some people move away and others unpack their bags, the area’s identity changes. Today it represents a population rich with cultural diversity and differing stories”.

An exhibition of Richard’s images are on display at The Blue Legume Café in Church Street, Stoke Newington from 16 October - 13 November, as part of Photomonth, the East London Photography Festival. Photomonth is the largest photography festival in the UK with over 100 exhibitions and events taking place in more than 60 galleries and spaces and featuring up to 500 photographers.

All images in the exhibition were taken on Fujicolor PRO Series film and were printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper.

Richard has previously worked for The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, Glamour, Marks & Spencer, Marie-Claire, Max Factor, Pantene and Next among others. For further information on Richard’s work, go to www.richardnolan-neylan.co.uk

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