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During the eighties, Joy Gregory studied at the Royal College of Art alongside artist Keith Piper, then organizing a exhibit. Piper asked me to contribute some work,” says the veteran photographer.

Although he appreciated her work into colonial themes, race, identity, and beauty, the organizers rejected her submission on the grounds it wasn’t “representative enough.” One must understand the political climate of that time,” she explains. At the time, I was taking pictures of flowers. For me, you have the freedom to make whatever work you want. By shutting down what is acceptable, they begin to censor oneself.”

Exploring the capabilities of photography has remained key to Gregory’s work. Her journey started with self-representation and trial and error. The 1990 work Autoportrait—featuring nine monochrome self-portraits—is one of her most recognized creations.

Her oeuvre spans still-life, portraits, moving image, and fabric art, addressing subjects like selfhood, collective history, and language heritage. Over two hundred and fifty pieces are set to be shown at her retrospective named Catching Flies With Honey in the Whitechapel Gallery starting this fall.

A especially significant recent work required two decades to finish. “The new commission examines studies I have been doing since 2003 on dying tongues,” she explains. I have collaborated with a single community and families for more than two decades. A lot of the individuals I worked with are no longer with us, so it was essential to create an object to show them.”

Hailing in England in the late 1950s to Jamaican parents, Gregory was creative early on. Gregory drew, made garments, and devoured constantly. My family lived close to a bookbindery, so when volumes got thrown out, I would retrieve them,” she recalls. Her first camera became a significant investment by her relatives.

Gregory’s aspirations remain simple: “My aim was always to produce good work.” She prizes innovation and human touch over digital perfection. “With modern imaging, each image can be pristine. Yet I’m drawn to the idea of human intervention—each print as unique and unrepeatable.”

Highlighted Pieces from the Exhibition

Memory and Skin, 1998
“This was the initial significant commission I undertook,” notes the artist. The work examined the dynamic linking Europe and the Caribbean. Being raised in a Jamaican household in England, you become speaking two languages, navigating two cultures. It was about bridging the two.”

The Fairest, 1999
Gregory got curious about the reasons someone might desire to become blond,” the artist comments. “I chose individuals from various European and diverse backgrounds to discuss their perspectives.”

The Blonde, 1997–2010
Around the late 1990s, we saw suddenly a lot of non-European individuals with blond hair,” Gregory recalls. These individuals were challenging notions of self-expression and beauty. Some angry responses in chatrooms, yet it was intriguing to witness them playing with self-identity.”

The Handbag Project, 1998–present
“These handbags are brought back from South Africa,” says the artist. “I aimed to do a project physical, via salt printing. Each print was a unique outcome.”

Language of Flowers, 1992–2004
“The choice of cyanotype felt fitting because it is a Victorian method,” Gregory states. The work references botanical history and the human quest for permanence within a fragile world.”

Catching Flies With Honey will be open at Whitechapel Gallery from this autumn through 1 March.