citylikeyou — Brick Lane — London by Mathushaa Sagthidas

London / Art

Creative space that is full of life and has been a great spot for various creative shoots Place image not by me

Address
Brick Lane, Brick Lane, London, United Kingdom

Current city: London

mathushaasagthidasphotography.co.uk

Mathushaa Sagthidas is a London based freelance photographer, stylist, set designer and art director (studied at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL) with interest in fine art and contemporary fashion. Mathushaa’s work often examines her identity - Tamil Eelam ethnicity and British nationality, which is reflected through traditions, history and fashion photography. Identity, authenticity and representation are important to her because of her parents’ upbringing and experiences during the Sri Lankan civil war, which took place from 1983 until now. The history of the war, their own personal suffering and experience led Mathushaa to learn and embrace her ethnic culture, traditions and heritage more and more. Her photography work spans a range of brands including Amazon, Wolf & Badger, Fashion United, Deezer and Bloomsbury; publications such as Creative Lives, Glass Magazine, The Photographer’s Gallery, gal-dem, Hypebae, Fashion Minority Report, THIIIRD Magazine, Campaign Live, Dishoom, It’s Nice That, The British Library and Graduate Fashion Week and exhibitions such as Tate Britain, PhotoFusion, BBH London, Lake Gallery, Camberwell Space Gallery, Rankin x Maryland Studio, including billboards across the UK and a solo show with Bow Arts.

More Places in London 471

London / Area

Southbank has organically evolved into a place of cultural significance through the persistent creative use of skateboarders spanning over generations. Southbank is currently under threat of being destroyed and replaced by coffee shops and retail outlets. There has been an alternative skate spot preposed to be built under Hungerford Bridge, this at first glance seems like an appropriate solution. Unfortunately this undermines the grassroots movement that has been developed over the years. Skateboarders have utilised the unsuspecting angles of brutalist architecture in a way they were originally not intended, in doing so they have created a space that is special and unreplicable. You can help save this historic place by signing the petition.

London / Cafe

If you are lucky enough to get a table at this tiny 6 table only Café you are in for a real treat. The coffee is great, the cakes are delicious and the staff is friendly in this traditional wifi free (meaning no wifi here) Café. On a quiet day this is the best place to delve into your favourite novel while being caressed by the easy listening aural pleasure of Classic FM. But the real reason I come here is to overhear the conversations of the other customers. More than once did I have to put my book aside to pay closer attention to the charming, wonderful and often nuts conversations going on around me. I've overheard all sorts of discussions varying from 'Psychoanalysis' to 'Proustian ideas', 'Science Fiction' to 'Greek Mythology' and 'African Studies' to 'the takeover of DC Comics'.

London / Restaurant

My all-time favourite place. Whitewashed ex-smokehouse where Fergus Henderson pioneered the resurgent interest in offal dishes. The restaurant is brilliantly unfussy, retaining lots of the smokehouse’s original features, and the food very British, making St. JOHN something of a London institution. The restaurant has a winery and bakery.

London / Museum

I walk a lot; the best way to experience a city. So it's sometimes to do with the way places join up. This cast concrete letterform is a part of the Lycée's gateway. Each of the form's facets arrives at a different character, so six possible letters come from each cast object. I've never been inside the Lycée but always walked through this way up to the V&A, in order to examine again and again how each form works. The surfaces set the tone for the V&A and its incredible Ceramics floor, a perennial inspiration.

London / Park

I go to the Heath every weekend (often via the wonderful Waterlow Park which skirts Highgate Cemetery) and during the week too if I’m working from home; it helps to put things in perspective when I’m thinking about my work. It’s great in the summer for obvious reasons but I love it the most in autumn and on those rare days it snows so much London grinds to a halt (which doesn’t take much). Everyone heads up there to make giant snowballs/cats/creatures and surf down Parliament Hill on anything they can get their hands on. Grown ups turn into kids for the day. My husband and I made this snow yeti last year, it was sad to leave him behind but he soon made friends and even made it into the Camden New Journal.