This exhibition marks five years since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the series of lockdowns that took place in the UK. When the first lockdown was announced, photographer Katrina Campbell, started photographing her neighbours on their doorsteps, out of a curiosity to find out how they were really getting on. She was surprised at how keen people were to share their stories, being remarkably open and candid about their hopes and fears.
At the time, the photographs and stories were shared on social media, and as the project grew, she was inundated by messages from people wanting to get involved. By September 2020, there were over 100 photographs and stories from the local area, covering Grange Park, Bush Hill Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Southgate, Enfield and Edmonton. The full set was self-published in a book called ‘When we all stayed at home’ and it is a rich, honest, heartfelt and at times emotional record of a unique moment in our collective history.
Step inside this exhibition, look at the portraits, read and listen to the stories, and be transported back to that period that we all lived through. No one may wish to revisit the sense of isolation and uncertainty that accompanied lockdown but perhaps it’s worth remembering the things we learnt to appreciate more keenly - the value of human contact, a stronger sense of community, the opportunity to pause, the restorative powers of being in nature.
Artist Bio
Katrina Campbell is a photographer living in Grange Park, Enfield. She is often busy taking portraits of people from all walks of life from artists, to barristers, to families Her work also includes photographing community projects and the healthier streets of Enfield where Journeys & Places, (Enfield Council) have made improvements for people’s wellbeing. She is currently working on a project photographing teenagers at home exploring the changing relationship with their families as they gain independence. In September she is starting an MA in photojournalism and documentary photography at the University of Arts London.
Instagram: @katrinacampbell_portraits
Website: www.katrinacampbell.net