Teresa Eng specialises in photography projects that unfold over an extended period of time, revisiting places over the course of a few months or years. For her project 'Elephant' which features in Kaleidoscope, she documented the people and places of Elephant & Castle, in the borough of Southwark, where she lives.
What made you choose this subject?
A lot of my work is about transition and change. It reflects my own background of being a Canadian and having lived in London for the past 10 years.
I became aware of gentrification while living in New York. The neighbourhood where I lived was a predominately African American community, mixed in with art students and creatives. As organic supermarkets and trendy restaurants popped up, it pushed people from lower incomes further out from the city.
I could see the same cycle happening in Elephant & Castle, where I studied and now live. As an artist, one has to be creative in finding accommodation in areas that are overlooked by developers. However, I also recognise the impact this has on the gentrification of a neighbourhood.
I see Elephant as an archive of the changing nature of neighbourhoods and cities. I've been working on Elephant for six years now and, in that short time, the area has changed dramatically. I'd like to make this a 10 year project, or until the estate at the end of my street gets demolished and rebuilt.