Take Me Away: Nicky Hamilton's photographs of the life and times of a Chinese takeaway

In his series, Take Me Away, photographer Nicky Hamilton depicts the life and times of Canton House, a Chinese takeaway which opened in the UK in the early 1960s by the Yau family after emigrating from Hong Kong in search of a better life. The 15-piece tableau portrays a melting pot of modern day Britain exploring culture, class and the act of waiting.

All photography courtesy of Nicky Hamilton. © Nicky Hamilton

All photography courtesy of Nicky Hamilton. © Nicky Hamilton

The series took eight weeks to produce and a replica of the shop was built as a set in Nicky's studio. "I worked closely with the owner (and original source of inspiration) who loaned the shops pictures for props and also featured in the series as the proprietor," he explains.

The former Head of Art at leading advertising agency M&C Saatchi, Nicky's method is highly cinematic, designing and building elaborate sets to create pictures of extraordinary detail and narrative. His work explores characters’ emotional states by playing with performance and symbolism in order to produce deeply evocative moods.

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

© Nicky Hamilton

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