Former Access to Photojournalism student Rehan Jamil finally displays his work!

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When Rehan Jamil began taking photographs of the East London Mosque as part of a course project in 1997, he could scarcely imagine that it would be over a decade later that his images would be on display at the Bruce Castle Museum in London.

“It wasn’t a question of my working slowly,” he recalls. “The work was intended to be a study of the Muslim community based around the mosque which just grew and grew. The construction of the London Muslim Centre next door was up in the air for a number of years and there was a lot of unrest at certain developmental ideas. There was no way I could complete a study on the Muslim community without taking those events into account.”

Rehan, a freelance photographer who still lives in East London, decided to enrol on an adult Access to Photojournalism course at Tower Hamlets College after finishing his A-Levels and began his project at the mosque as part of his final year assessment.

“I wanted to do a photography course and the Access qualification was highly regarded within the industry. The course was very practical and I regularly attended the mosque which needed some images produced at the time, so I set to work and put it towards my course project. At the time, it wasn’t really the done thing to wander around the mosque with a camera so it was strange at first, but over the years it has evolved and there is now a media department within the building itself. I suppose I just picked the right time to begin my project. The East London Mosque is 100 years old this year so it also ties in nicely with the centenary.”

His exhibition of 24 black and white images, entitled Islamic Cultures and Customs, is part of a much larger project of 60 images known as East End of Islam. Some of these also formed part of a British Council touring exhibition, Common Ground, which explored aspects of contemporary Muslim experience and visited Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Malaysia and Bangladesh between 2003 and 2006.

“Photography is very fulfilling but you have to be willing to work hard in order to make a living from it. I started out as a photographer for a local paper to gain experience and things can be tough when you first start out. I have known the Curator at Bruce Castle, Robert Waite, for a number of years and he got in touch as he wanted an exhibition to tie in with Black History Month in October. Building relationships with people and establishing contacts are vital if you want to have a career in this industry.”

Rehan, who is currently focussing his lens on the urban regeneration of East London, describes his photographs as “educational tools” and hopes his work can inspire debate and discussion.

“This exhibition is, for many people, their first glimpse inside a mosque and is a good way to understand a little bit about Muslim life and the role of a mosque in the community. I strive to provoke interest and debate in important issues while improving the knowledge of those who view my work. Whether or not you like my images and the stories they tell, understanding something, talking it through and outlining your point of view is really important in modern society.”

Islamic Cultures and Customs is on display until 31st March 2010 at Bruce Castle, Lordship Lane, N17. The Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 1pm -5pm and entrance is free of charge. Details: 020 8808 8772 or www.haringey.gov.uk