Documentary and Editorial photographer in Portugal - Attilio Fiumarella

The status ‘British Subject’ was mainly used between 1949 and 1982 for citizens from the Commonwealth. After changes in legislation, the term became obsolete and was replaced with ‘British Citizen’. The title of this work, refers specifically to second generation British citizens. It also alludes to Subject as a matter, or a topic of British nature. The new generation of Britain grew up at the intersection of ‘subject’ and ‘citizen.’ This work portrays their complex cultural identities; partly tied to their parents’ heritage and partly to the place where they were raised. It explores the shifting social landscape between the old England and the new one.

To tell this story I went back to 1972, the beginning of a new era for UK immigration. The pages of an atlas named Lands and Peoples gave me insight into the movement of the world at that time. The atlas became the thread with which I wove the stories of the people I met, the streets I walked and the places I visited. This work is meant to challenge the reader on the meaning of identity and belonging in the climate of cultural convergence we live in nowadays.

The work takes multiple approaches to capture the essence of a complex and multilayered subject. In this work, I focused on the most prominent groups, they are defined as ‘Asian British’ and ‘Black British’ and they constitute more than a third of Birmingham’s population. The establishment and contribution of these communities is visible in the many aspects that define the cultural landscape. They have been in the UK for more than two generations and have a rich, double cultural heritage. My work gives special emphasis to these moments in the social landscape where both cultural heritages are visible and maintain a certain balance between themselves.

Credits:
Photography: Attilio Fiumarella
Editor: Mauro Bedoni
Design: Studio Wan
The final development of this project was supported by Art Council England within the programme DYCP