Madre Celestial Zine launch at Photobook Cafe

Please join me for a margarita or two at the launch of my new zine Madre Celestial at Photobook Cafe in Shoreditch on the 22nd March!

My new zine Madre Celestial features photographs of roadside shrines, street altars and spontaneous symbols of remembrance taken in Mexico. A celebration of pop spirituality, everyday faith and the vibrancy of Mexican folk culture.

RSVP on the Eventbrite page here and bring something for the Zine Shrine!

Shrines like these, which spring up informally all over the world in various forms, lay a spiritual claim on public space. With paper chains, a clutch of flowers, the most ephemeral of material spells out an invocation to connect with a metaphysical power. They are communal declarations of hope & devotion, made in kaleidoscopic colour.

Like all folk art, street shrines also voice a deeply human need for beauty, symbols and ritual in the everyday. They are examples of DIY culture in action, built from materials at hand, answering a creative urge. Through their pop aesthetic they represent a celebration of life, and a rejection of modern minimalism and restraint.

In the name of DIY join us in making a Zine Shrine - bring flowers, zines, photos, votive offerings!

Foxtrot Lightning is the name for creative projects by Sophie Polyviou- artist/photographer/maker based in London.

About the Photobook Cafe:

The Photobook Cafe are a Community Cafe, Gallery & PhotoBook Library based on Leonard Circus in Shoreditch, London. Established in 2019 by Rapid Eye Darkroom, PBC was built on a passion for photo books and traditional darkroom practice, as well as a love of food and drink.

Since September 2019 the Photobook Cafe have exhibited launches and talks by a huge section of photographers as well as online talks with photographers such as Christoper Anderson, Daniel Meadows, Judith Black, Greg Girard, Jamie Hawkesworth, Kate Friend and more.