Love to Remember is a photographic documentation of African and Caribbean funerary traditions, examining how these communities navigate grief through ritual, storytelling, and collective celebration. In these cultures, a loved one’s passing is not only a moment of mourning but one of the most significant social events—a vibrant affirmation of life, memory, and legacy.
At these gatherings, family, friends, and neighbours become active keepers of history. They recount the joys, struggles, and achievements of the departed: stories of migration, resilience, and the dignity with which they confronted prejudice while building lives and communities in England. Laughter rises from familiar anecdotes, rum is poured in remembrance, food is shared, and songs are offered to guide the soul on its journey.
For six years, I photographed funerals within African and Caribbean communities in South London, the place I also call home. Standing within these intimate and emotionally charged moments has deepened my understanding of how ritual supports healing—how grieving together can be both an act of love and an act of resistance. Through this work, I hope to honour the cultural practices that transform loss into continuity, and to create a space where remembrance becomes a powerful collective gesture.
