Roman Road is a historical road in East London, located in the Borough of Tower Hamlets. Beginning in Old Ford at its eastern end, it passes into Globe Town and then enters into Bethnal Green to its western end. Roman Road, as it was called from the start, was built in 1855, perched on the old Pye Road, as it was called during the Roman Empire.

In September 2017, I took residence on 452 Roman Road, the part that connects the historical market and Grove Road.

Roman Road, south of Victoria Park, is not as high brow as Victoria Park Village, located a mere ten minutes away from the market. The area is very international with a colourful market 3 days a week at the very end of the road. Gentrification in the Roman Road area is a relatively new phenomenon. It has managed to preserve an authentic, friendly village vibe, where you meet locals in the street or in a café. I would say there is a strong sense of community here, with residents being openly fond and proud to live here.

That’s why I wanted to portray “my own” Roman Road, just at the intersection between Grove Road and the market starting at St Stephens Road. The project “Roman Road” is a display of the outside facades of all the shops, shot quite early in the morning, usually at the weekend, when most of them are still shut. There are shops you immediately recognise because you frequent them on a regular basis, there are others you know because of a significant detail that may have caught your attention at some point, but there are also those that seemed to have escaped your sight, ones you may never have seen before – despite walking up and down the whole length of the street several times a week.

The project also documents the changes that take place over the years, shops closing and opening, details that may get lost in the change and gentrification affecting this area of this city. I started the project in April 2022, with a first update in March 2023.

2022, 2023 – Canon EOS60D