Sophie Green – Congregation

104 pages, 30 colour & 25 duotone plates, 17.5 × 22.5 cm Hardcover with embossed silk cover ISBN 978-1-912719-05-1 Published in April 2019 Out of print, final handful of publisher's reserve stock available . Congregation by Sophie Green is a celebration of Southwark’s Aladura Spiritualist African churches and congregations. Often referred to as “white garment” churches, Green’s images engage with rarely-documented dynamic communities who unite each weekend for Sunday service. Aladura is a denomination of Christianity predominantly practised by Yoruba Nigerians, and in the last 40 years has become a ubiquitous part of London life - particularly in Southwark, which has the highest concentration of African churches outside the continent. Congregation observes a rich tapestry of worshippers and Sunday services, which are spoken in Yoruba and form a key social meeting point and place of cultural solidarity between African Londoners. Congregation asks questions about how individuals find collective identity and power within subcultures, and how cultural practice is assimilated into modern global contexts: traditional dress, food and customs rub up against modern technology and fashion, while devotional interiors colourfully fill the hidden, often industrial spaces that churches inhabit. Green also engages directly with individuals through collaborative, posed portrait sessions and photographic workshops, which serve to empower and engage with members of each congregation and their faith, while highlighting the performance of identity and communality that underpins religious practice. Press: the Guardian Time Creative Review Libération Interview on Monocle Radio Interview on BBC Radio 4 i-D British Journal of Photography Wallpaper the Face Huck Magazine Twin Magazine INDIE Magazine Congregation was launched on Thurs 25th April 2019 at Hannah Barry Gallery in Peckham, London .