Imperial Health Charity is proud to present this exhibition of portraits by London-based
photographer JJ Keith.
With Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation, JJ Keith set out to use his camera to capture
and celebrate the contributions migrants have made to life in the UK. Recently, he turned
his lens on first-generation immigrants working at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Since the beginning of 2023 JJ has photographed 150 first generation migrants and is still
adding to this project.
In June 2023, JJ photographed a German psychoanalyst born just before WWII. During the
interview she turned the tables and opened JJ’s eyes to the fact that his parents (both
migrants) were not merely a convenient ‘backstory’ to the project, but a subconscious deepset inspiration and motivation. The moment was profoundly moving.
JJ says: “Open Britain: Portrait of a Diverse Nation is a celebration of migration and the
benefits it brings to British society. It is hard to think of another institution that both benefits
the UK and relies so heavily on a migrant workforce than the NHS. It was top of my list of
collaborators and thankfully Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was happy to open its
doors.”
The collaboration was shot over four days at St Mary’s, Charing Cross and Hammersmith
hospitals. We would like to thank all those who took part and made it happen.
See more of JJ's work at www.jjkeith.com