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Of Things Not Seen: A Year in the Life of a London Priest

Over the last year, award-winning photographer Jim Grover, with his Leica camera, has been shadowing Kit Gunasekera.

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Via direct submission. All images courtesy of gallery@oxo

Via direct submission. All images courtesy of gallery@oxo

Kit is Grover’s local vicar and this body of work brings to life what it is to be a Church of England minister in a South London community today. This is the first time that the daily life of a priest has been recorded in this way, making it a remarkably unique project. The photo-story is a visual form that began with W. Eugene Smith, and Grover’s year in the life of Kit reflects that heritage.

Entitled Of Things Not Seen: A Year in the Life of a London Priest, the series follows Kit in his vicarage, his church, his parishioners' homes, in care homes, on the streets of Clapham, and with his fellow priests in the community. From over 15,000 images, 40 have been chosen to go on display at gallery@oxo on London's South Bank, which distils both Kit’s professional role as priest and lynchpin of the church community, and his personal faith.

The daily routines of running a church with financial pressures and a mission to increase the congregation are reflected in the project, alongside the joys and rewards of having a vocation with a strong calling and a higher purpose.

Kit remarks: "I didn't know what to expect when we began this project, except that I was determined to be as authentic as possible. Due to Jim’s thoughtfulness and sensitivity, it was as if he wasn't there! This helped me to be myself and to do things as I would normally, without feeling the need to produce anything. As the project developed what struck me was that it was about people. This should be no surprise because ministry is really about people."

With this exhibition, Grover wants to convey Kit’s personal story to the viewer and, through that, a sense of the extraordinary fellowship that inner-city church communities can still provide. Grover said: "I wanted a project that was literally on my doorstep that involved local people and gave me a glimpse into a different world. Part of this was also the desire for a new photographic challenge that spanned over many months and would allow me to really explore below the surface. I wanted to challenge myself by shooting in black and white like the original photo-essayists such as Eugene Smith. It’s been enlightening, inspiring, challenging and rewarding in equal measures."

Launching at gallery@oxo from Wednesday 2 March 2016. Nearest underground stations are Waterloo, Southwark and Borough. The nearest railway station is Blackfriars. The exhibition will be open Monday to Sunday, 11am until 6pm and it's free.

A person in a dark jacket sits outside a modern brick church building with geometric architecture under a grey sky
A person in a wheelchair facing the altar in a church interior, photographed in black and white during a service
Five dark glass bottles with white labels arranged in a row on a windowsill, each labelled with different days and religious oils used in church rituals
Priest Kit Gunasekera kneels beside a hospital bed in a bright bedroom, tending to a patient in this black and white photograph
Black and white portrait of Kit Gunasekera, a Church of England vicar, wearing a white clerical collar and light-coloured shirt, eyes closed in a contemplative moment
Church altar display with donated food items, cross and religious text, photographed in black and white by Jim Grover
Person in wheelchair with backpack attending a service inside a church, photographed in black and white
White mug with ribbon bow and text reading "thank you kit" sits on a surface in black and white photography
Black and white photograph of people waiting at a bus shelter beneath bare trees on a South London street
Person in dark suit walking along a gravel path beside white-walled buildings, holding a small framed photograph, captured from a low angle in black and white
Hands arranging white takeaway food containers with handwritten labels on a table in black and white photography
A group of people sit around a circular table in a sparse, high-ceilinged hall with large windows, captured in black and white
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