Vanley Burke

Who is Vanley Burke?

Vanley Burke was born in St. Thomas, Jamaica, in 1951. He was sent a "Box Brownie" camera from his parents who were living in England for his 10th birthday. He came to England in 1965 to join his parents and left his radio to his Aunt as a parting gift taking his camera with him. Vanley seriously started photography around 1967 and making a conscious decision to document the black community and lifestyle in England.

His photographs capture experiences of his community’s arrival in Britain, the different landscapes and cultures he encountered, the different ways of survival and experiences of the wider African-Caribbean community. His photography sought to counteract any perception of negative or stereotypical imagery of black people found in mainstream media. His photographs represented the black community back to themselves in intimate portrayal and were taken from his perspective as an integral member of the community as opposed to basic documentary images perceived from 'outsiders'. Vanley's interests have expanded to include other communities in the city and their experiences.