Photos of the public are being displayed on screens across Britain for an important reason
LONDON -- An exhibition is replacing advertisements at shopping centres, train stations and high streets with stunning portraits of members of the British public.
In a celebration of the nation's diversity, the Portrait of Britain exhibition will take over digital screens at locations nationwide throughout September.
The exhibition -- organised by the British Journal of Photography and advertising company JCDecaux -- features 100 portraits.
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"Envisaged as an exhibition ‘by the people, of the people, for the people’, Portrait of Britain was initiated as an open call for photographs that celebrate the country’s unique heritage and diversity," reads a statement emailed to Mashable.
The majority of the portrait subjects are everyday people, but there are a few familiar faces including Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussein and grime artist Stormzy.
Here are some of the images that will be gracing screens up and down the country.
Auguste and Poppy Parthenope
Eliza Tamo: “This is Auguste meeting her great grand daughter, Poppy Parthenope. Auguste is German. She met [her husband] James during the Second World War in Germany and he brought her to Wales. For the first few years people would throw bricks at their house. They had 11 children."
Grime artist Stormzy
Dan Wilton: “Stormzy, shot on a rooftop in London. Stormzy (born Michael Omari) is a British rapper & MC.”
Beth Costerton
Beth Costerton's portrait was originally photographed for the 'This Is Me' exhibition of 50 portraits of children who have down syndrome.
Mr Bloomfield
“Mr Bloomfield, fishmonger and photographer, is surrounded by the photographs of London Old Billingsgate Fish Market that he took over three decades. George’s Plaice shop, Roman Road, Bow, London 2015.”
Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussein
Nadiya Hussein's portrait was originally commissioned by the Sunday Times Magazine in 2015.
Mark Harrison: “The best thing to come out of the TV show Great British Bake Off, Nadiya is, for me, an positive and iconic, optimistic face of Britain today.”
Dave Okumo
Phil Sharp: “Dave Okumu, musician and producer, best known for fronting the critically acclaimed band, The Invisible. Record label commission, December 2015.”
Vanessa and Vivian
Bill Knight: “Vanessa Babirye was photographed at the Royal Court Theatre in London with her eldest sister Vivian. Vanessa, standing behind Vivian, is an actor whose latest TV appearance is in Ackee & Saltfish. [...] Vivian is 3 years older. She has a learning disability and is a community support worker. The family came from Kampala, Uganda as refugees and their mother died in 2010. Vanessa says that Vivian is the happiest person you will ever meet.”
The exhibition will appear on screens throughout September. “We wanted to show diversity in terms of who is being photographed, but we also wanted to see different ways of photographing. These are pictures that we all take in everyday life, but raised to a higher level by selecting, editing and presenting them in such a wide-ranging public exhibition," Simon Bainbridge -- editorial director of the British Journal of Photography -- said in a statement.
Topics Diversity Social Good
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
