Chaos never looked so good!
— Ralf Meddstengel, 23, from Lancaster, studying live events and festival management in London.
“To me London is connection, connections with new people, job and recreational opportunities and the ability to reinvent yourself.”
— Diogo Oliveira, 18 years old, from Portugal, studying Songwriting and Artist Development in London.
“London is a new beginning for me because I'm leaving behind what I built in Portugal to pursue my dream of being the best in the world. I don't want to be a singer for 10 million people, but I want to be a singer for the entire world.”
— Anne Smith, 61, from New York - USA, working as a Manager for a company in London.
“London has a special beauty. It's not always easy to live here or understand it. But it's a really interesting place. I think everyone should live here for a while.”
“London is like a second home to me. The best thing is finding a Polish community where I can always reconnect with my roots.”
— Deivity Bukoski, 26, from Poland, studying civil engineering in London.
“London is a really interesting and beautiful city where you can find a lot of people from around the world. It's busy and energetic, but also full of amazing parks and hidden spots and its mix of cultures, food and stories. London has a way of making you feel like there is always something new to discover.”
— Ali Khalloufi, 19 years old, from Morocco. Business student at Greenwich University - London.
“For me, London is a place where everyone can be who they want without fear, regardless of their background. From a religious perspective, it's also an interesting place. I feel comfortable here amidst such diversity.”
— Roshan Aamir Khan, 69 years old, from India. Retired Doctor living in London with his family.
“For me, London is a city full of culture. There's no place where you don't feel the "world." Even though the city seems gray in the winter, I find a vibrant beauty, especially at night!”
— Pedro Machado, 18 years old, from Brazil. Studying Marketing in London.
“London is an important step in my professional growth. I believe it's the right place to start my career, and here I can build relationships with people from all over the world. Even though I'm a foreigner, I often feel at home because everyone here is a foreigner.”
— Ligia Stigliani Crisan, 25 years old, from Romania, working as a nurse in London.
“For me, London is a place full of challenges and possibilities.”
— Tanya Mazka, 24 years old, from Ukraine. Studying Content Creation in London.
London is beautiful because it is diverse. Everyone can be themselves because there is a place for everybody here, and that is what makes this city unique. You can truly “encounter” London through its people: not a single stereotype, but a living collage of faces and cultures, all together.
London is beautiful because it is diverse. Everyone can be themselves because there is a place for everybody here, and that is what makes this city unique. You can truly “encounter” London through its people: not a single stereotype, but a living collage of faces and cultures, all together.
— Tanya Mazka, 24 years old, from Ukraine. Studying Content Creation in London.
“For me, London is a place full of challenges and possibilities.”
— Ligia Stigliani Crisan, 25 years old, from Romania, working as a nurse in London.
“London is an important step in my professional growth. I believe it's the right place to start my career, and here I can build relationships with people from all over the world. Even though I'm a foreigner, I often feel at home because everyone here is a foreigner.”
“For me, London is a city full of culture. There's no place where you don't feel the "world." Even though the city seems gray in the winter, I find a vibrant beauty, especially at night!”
— Pedro Machado, 18 years old, from Brazil. Studying Marketing in London.
“For me, London is a place where everyone can be who they want without fear, regardless of their background. From a religious perspective, it's also an interesting place. I feel comfortable here amidst such diversity.”
— Roshan Aamir Khan, 69 years old, from India. Retired Doctor living in London with his family.
“London is a really interesting and beautiful city where you can find a lot of people from around the world. It's busy and energetic, but also full of amazing parks and hidden spots and its mix of cultures, food and stories. London has a way of making you feel like there is always something new to discover.”
— Ali Khalloufi, 19 years old, from Morocco. Business student at Greenwich University - London.
— Anne Smith, 61, from New York - USA, working as a Manager for a company in London.
“London has a special beauty. It's not always easy to live here or understand it. But it's a really interesting place. I think everyone should live here for a while.”
“London is like a second home to me. The best thing is finding a Polish community where I can always reconnect with my roots.”
— Deivity Bukoski, 26, from Poland, studying civil engineering in London.
— Diogo Oliveira, 18 years old, from Portugal, studying Songwriting and Artist Development in London.
“London is a new beginning for me because I'm leaving behind what I built in Portugal to pursue my dream of being the best in the world. I don't want to be a singer for 10 million people, but I want to be a singer for the entire world.”
“To me London is connection, connections with new people, job and recreational opportunities and the ability to reinvent yourself.”
— Ralf Meddstengel, 23, from Lancaster, studying live events and festival management in London.
"London, for me, is a place full of opportunities, but it can be tough when the country doesn't help. So I'd say it's a difficult place to live."
— Shafi Huzail, 26 years old, from Iran. Works in a small shop in Westminster - London.
— Asher Fowler, 23 years old, from London - UK. Currently studying Content Creation in London.
“To me London isn’t London without its rich and diverse ethnic background; the food, the culture and all the beautiful interactions that come with it are just a small part of what makes the melting pot of London so special.”
"London is a new beginning. It's the place I chose to live and it has become my home.”
— Francine Bron, from France. Barista in Hackney - London.
— Francine Bron, from France. Barista in Hackney - London.
"London is a new beginning. It's the place I chose to live and it has become my home.”
— Shafi Huzail, 26 years old, from Iran. Works in a small shop in Westminster - London.
— Asher Fowler, 23 years old, from London - UK. Currently studying Content Creation in London.
"London, for me, is a place full of opportunities, but it can be tough when the country doesn't help. So I'd say it's a difficult place to live."
“To me London isn’t London without its rich and diverse ethnic background; the food, the culture and all the beautiful interactions that come with it are just a small part of what makes the melting pot of London so special.”
Portraits of London
Portraits of London
Portraits of London:
A city of many cultures
There are approximately 12.5 million people in London, 59% of whom were born in the UK. All the rest are Londoners born abroad, and like so many migrants scattered across Europe, they are trying to find their place in the world.
The UK, like many European countries, is experiencing a migration crisis and anti-immigration demonstrations are taking place in many cities, including the capital, London. But as we know, London is a global city, with residents from every corner of the world. The largest group of Londoners born outside the UK is Indian (323,000). The second most common country of birth outside the UK is Romania, with a population of 176,000, and the third is Poland, with 149,000.
London is not just one story, but many. It is a city built by migration, shaped by faith, food, work, and celebration. Every corner brings with it flavors, sounds, and echoes from abroad, yet together, all these elements form the identity of this unique city.
This series of portraits therefore aims to capture Londoners from diverse cultural backgrounds in response to this anti-immigration movement, showing that London is made up of all these peoples together. Each face is individual, but seen together, they reveal something greater: a city of coexistence.
These portraits aren't just about differences. They're about connections: the quiet ways cultures meet, overlap, and coexist. London isn't one culture or another. It's all of them, together.
Portraits of London:
A city of many cultures
​
There are approximately 12.5 million people in London, 59% of whom were born in the UK. All the rest are Londoners born abroad, and like so many migrants scattered across Europe, they are trying to find their place in the world.
The UK, like many European countries, is experiencing a migration crisis and anti-immigration demonstrations are taking place in many cities, including the capital, London. But as we know, London is a global city, with residents from every corner of the world. The largest group of Londoners born outside the UK is Indian (323,000). The second most common country of birth outside the UK is Romania, with a population of 176,000, and the third is Poland, with 149,000.
London is not just one story, but many. It is a city built by migration, shaped by faith, food, work, and celebration. Every corner brings with it flavors, sounds, and echoes from abroad, yet together, all these elements form the identity of this unique city.
This series of portraits therefore aims to capture Londoners from diverse cultural backgrounds in response to this anti-immigration movement, showing that London is made up of all these peoples together. Each face is individual, but seen together, they reveal something greater: a city of coexistence.
These portraits aren't just about differences. They're about connections: the quiet ways cultures meet, overlap, and coexist. London isn't one culture or another. It's all of them, together.
Design that adapts.
