These striking portraits capture the many faces of modern Britain

What ties together an Etonian scholar standing in his cluttered Kennington kitchen, a darkly lit Libby Lane—the world’s first female Bishop—majestically robed and stoic, and a sari-clad artist perching elegantly next to a bowl of oranges? They are all representations of Britain.

The many faces of modern Britain are collected in the second instalment of the photobook, Portrait of Britain, published by Hoxton Mini Press and out now (the photobook also accompanies the nationwide exhibition of the same name, Portrait of Britain—the country’s largest contemporary photography showcase organised by the British Journal of Photography). Brimming with emotion, tenderness and character, the collection stands as an important reminder of the diversity that defines contemporary British society. Across 200 vibrant portraits by pioneering photographers, the book offers an unpredictable and moving ode to British life. As the UK descends into Brexit-related chaos, uncertainty and division, the arrival of Portrait of Britain Vol.2 feels particularly timely. “With the return of Portrait of Britain, the question of national identity has never seemed so loaded,” said the British Journal of Photography’s director, Simon Bainbridge. “Facing a divided nation, Portrait of Britain aims to frame these questions of identity differently, looking at who we are as a nation of individuals, apart from the politics of division.” Below, the photographers discuss their compelling subjects:

A Portrait of K’First—André Jacques, 2019

“This is K’First. He is a friend of mine who moved to London when he was young, he is originally from Thailand … K’first didn’t directly comment on this subject but when it comes to my images I am meticulous about my casting. And K’First was perfect for this, being someone who is familiar with being in unfamiliar places he has a strong sense of identity and I’m sure lots of people can relate to him and his experiences.” —André Jacques

babirye—Myah Jeffers, 2018

“Whilst at a festival in East Sussex over the summer, I had the pleasure of documenting moments of unbridled joy in the festival goers around me … babirye bukilwa is a friend of mine and an absolute force of energy … During a fleeting break from dancing, a joke was whispered into barbirye’s ear and she instantly rocked her head back in the most majestic of ways to let out a warm, infectious laugh. Her joy felt full and even though I never heard what was said, I’m so proud to have captured that moment of her. For her.” —Myah Jeffers

Mabel—Dan Sully, 2019.

“This shot was taken in our living room. I usually encourage Mabel to smile when I take photos of her (by making lots of strange high pitched noises and playing peekaboo from behind my camera), but this time I took her natural, quizzical look as she tries to work out what Daddy is doing.” —Dan Sully

The Suffolk Sky Dancers—Harry Hall, 2019.

“The clubs members fly many different types of planes, helicopters and gliders. IC, electric, scale, warbirds, aerobatic, quadcopters and sports planes all year round … I asked this man what made the perfect day of flying, “Good weather, no wind and a few digestive biscuits.” —Harry Hall

Aisha—Christian Cassiel, 2018.

“I met Aisha a few years ago while on nights out around East London … Aisha , Being insecure about her Caribbean and Irish features shows diversity within Britain and the willingness to show vulnerability and express ones true-self. She told me for a while she was unsure about this image initially but eventually realised this shot is the realist depiction of who she really is.” —Christian Cassiel

Untitled—Jay Fenwick, 2018.

“Khadijah was [a] little girl full life and energy. Only seven years of age when photographed, she wasn’t afraid anything including the camera. We dance, laughed , and fooled around, her infectious energy was amazing. With her teeth coming though, her smile, and the rest her life in front of her, it never fails to turn the corners of my mouth in an upward direction.” —Jay Fenwick

Yasodhara—Gavin Li, 2016.

“Yasodhara is a Sri Lankan artist who specialises in painting flowers, she is also a domestic violence survivor. I was very captivated by her strength after telling me her story and as a single mother.” —Gavin Li

Happy Mondays—Theo McInnes, 2019.

“We interviewed Shaun [Ryder] for a magazine and barely talked about music – mostly just UFO’s and drugs. He’s a really cool guy who’s lead a pretty extreme life. I think a lot of the time as people age they get more photogenic, Shaun being a case in point.

Ellie, London—Ioana Marina, 2018.

“Ellie and I met in a restaurant. I was on a second date that hadn’t started very well; Ellie was our very friendly waitress who turned things around. The shaved head and arm tattoos caught my attention more than my date did – so I asked her immediately if she would be interested in sitting for a portrait. I stayed in touch with Ellie and a couple months later spent an hour taking a few pictures. The third date never happened.” —Ioana Marina

Kennington’s Eton Scholar—Tristan Bejawn, 2019.

“I met Joshua after hosting a workshop at his school, we were reintroduced at a theatre workshop centred around youth violence in London. Since our first meeting, he had settled in at Eton college as a full academic scholar. I was fascinated by the fact that he has such insight into such contrasting social spheres, so we got talking and decided that we needed to collaborate on a portrait. We travelled to Windsor to his boarding house at Eton college where we picked up his uniform from the Eton tailors, then headed back to Kennington to photograph. A keen poet, and a very bright young man, Joshua will be studying at Cambridge university come September. His story is so positive, in a world where that is all too rare.” —Tristan Bejawn.

Portrait of Bishop Libby Lane—Peter Kindersley, 2017.

“When I saw Libby Lane became the UK’s first female bishop in 2015 with all the grand ordination at York Minister it made me wonder how many other women were leaders of their faith within the UK. As I began to research people for this project and indeed religion, it became apparent that Women are not always chosen within their religion as leaders, they may have an important role but not in the obvious manner that Libby Lane became so my approach had to be flexible, in finding prominent women that used their faith for guidance within their religion or outside for the good of others.” —Peter Kindersley

Eha—Sirli Raitma, 2018.

“My mother Eha moved to London to live with us in 2015. Widowed, suffering from epilepsy and lacking great command of the English language. She has been tightly involved in our lives. She began to suffer from depression. I came up with the project Eha, to take her mind off doctors appointments and medications. It started as a bit of fun, a way of us being less snappy with each other. She was always interested in clothes and has revealed herself to be a natural model. I go to car-boot sales and charity shops and assemble outfits. She thought I was a bit crazy at the outset but has come to really enjoy it. She is visibly more confident and engages more readily in conversation with strangers. People are finding the story inspiring.” —Sirli Raitma

Portrait of Britain Vol. 2 is available now from Hoxton Mini Press.

All images courtesy of Hoxton Mini Press.