Naz from Newham, is a writer and cultural worker living and working in London.

MemoriE(ast)s is a project inspired by the intimate nature of  archiving family photo albums which repurposes its use to  focus on the  preservation of the people existing in 2020s East London and the memories they hold. The subjects of the polaroid project are of locals who live and facilitate integral work in Newham.

About the project, Naz from Newham said:

“The goal of MemoriE(ast)s  is to preserve the voices and faces of everyday East Londoners in a period of rapid change, celebrating the memories that define the area. By collecting these stories, the project seeks to archive not just images but also the lived experiences of people in this part of the city, documenting the unique perspectives of a broad range of individuals.

East London is known for its diversity, resilience, and ever-changing social landscape. As gentrification, migration, and global trends continue to reshape the area, MemoriE(ast)aims to capture a snapshot of life before these changes become history. The project humanises the broader narrative of urban transformation by focusing on individual stories, helping to preserve the collective memory of communities that are often underrepresented in traditional archives”