Poetic photos of an East London neighbourhood
- Text by Camilla Patini
- Photography by Mico Toledo

Mico Toledo recalls a moment from a couple of years ago in a tall building in São Paulo when he was looking out across the vast expanse of the nighttime cityscape. He suddenly felt overcome with a desire to find out more about the people living there. Toledo likens his role as a photographer to that of the novelist: his task, he says, is to “slip into the lives of other people” – even if it is only just for a brief five minutes.
In this spirit, his latest photographic project, produced as part of his limited residency MFA in Photography at the Hartford Art School, captures the residents of Clapton, East London, and the surrounding area, with a sense of wistful romance. “I’m depicting these people in a way that doesn’t feel like Hackney. It’s like creating a fiction in my head of what my feelings are,” explains Toledo.

When he was speaking with the residents, topics of conversation usually revolved around what each of them does for a living, how they spend their leisure time, or where their children go to school. Toledo found these facts “quite beautiful and deep”.
Some of the residents have formed friendships with him, while others he meets and never sees again. Among the memorable host of characters Toledo has photographed so far is Bryan, a botanist; Micky, a pigeon breeder; and Casandra, a hair and locks hairdresser. The likelihood is that Toledo would never have ended up meeting them had he not picked up his camera last year when Covid-19 struck.


Toledo’s previous project, Until the Grass Grows and the River Flows – a series documenting native American tribes in North Dakota opposing the building of a three-billion-dollar pipeline crossing native lands – sent him looking for beauty in faraway places. For this project, though, Toledo decided to explore something much closer to home: his very own neighbourhood. He realised that “good stories can be found anywhere,” he says.
So he started walking the streets of Clapton, first just by himself and then with his cameras. Among the sites he’s captured so far are the Hackney river at dusk (a “very English” sight, he says), the council estates and people picnicking in the park. The resulting series is a beautiful collection of intimate photographs; stills Toledo describes as “moments in time” or “moments of in-betweenness”.

Many of the portraits capture people belonging to the area’s thriving Afro-Caribbean community. “I’m naturally attracted to people who also feel like they’re in a state of suspension, not knowing where home is,” explains Toledo, who moved to Europe from Brazil fifteen years ago. “The experience of an immigrant is a very particular experience that a lot of people might not understand,” he adds.
How does Toledo feel about the idea of home? “I’m still trying to gauge what home is. Once you leave your country, you’re no longer a citizen of your country. But I’m also not from here, even though I feel like this is where home is,” he says. “A lot of people who are from the Caribbean feel the same way; they have a sense of nostalgia towards home, a romantic idea of what home is.”





Follow Mico Toledo on Instagram.
Follow Camilla Patini on Twitter.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like

Analogue Appreciation: Joe Armon-Jones
All The Quiet (Part II) — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s keyboardist, producer and Ezra Collective member Joe Armon-Jones.
Written by: Joe Armon-Jones

Largest-Ever Display of UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Opens at Tate Modern
Grief Made Visible — Comprising hundreds of panels made by lovers, friends and chosen family, the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt returns in full for the first time since 1994 – a testament to grief, friendship and the ongoing fight against HIV stigma.
Written by: Ella Glossop

In Medellín’s alleys and side streets, football’s founding spirit shines
Street Spirit — Granted two weeks of unfettered access, photographer Tom Ringsby captures the warmth and DIY essence of the Colombian city’s grassroots street football scene.
Written by: Isaac Muk

Remembering New York’s ’90s gay scene via its vibrant nightclub flyers
Getting In — After coming out in his 20s, David Kennerley became a fixture on the city’s queer scene, while pocketing invites that he picked up along the way. His latest book dives into his rich archive.
Written by: Miss Rosen

A reading of the names of children killed in Gaza lasts over 18 hours
Choose Love — The vigil was held outside of the UK’s Houses of Parliament, with the likes of Steve Coogan, Chris O’Dowd, Nadhia Sawalha and Misan Harriman taking part.
Written by: Isaac Muk

We are all Mia Khalifa
How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.
Written by: Alya Mooro