Spotlight: Rider Shafique and the 173rd Annual Open

Rider Shafique is a Gloucester-based multi-disciplinary artist and storyteller. Working both independently and in collaboration, his work explores identity, culture, and history.

Rider is known for his notable for playing in gigs across iconic venues; collaborations with outfits including the Bristol jazz outfit Ishmael Ensemble and solo spoken word shows.

The founding member of Black Creatives, a monthly support and networking group for Black Creatives in the South West. An MC, lyricist and recording artist he has played in iconic venues; collaborated with Bristol jazz outfit Ishmael Ensemble and toured his own solo spoken word shows.

Through his photography he is documenting the stories and culture of Caribbean and Black British communities, a ongoing project he has been undertaking over the last few years - predominantly capturing intimate portraits of Soundsystem culture in Bristol.

One of Rider’s photographs in this series, Selector (Mikey Dread, Channel One), is currently exhibited at the RWA’s 173rd Annual Open. We spoke to Rider to find out more about how his practice, about collaborating with Vanley Burke, and his thoughts on the importance of having spaces to tell everyone’s stories.

Tell us about Selector (Mikey Dread, Channel One)and the ideas behind it?

My work is not just observations; my work is about people. I see myself as a contemporary eye looking at things that are relevant to Britain today. My main interest is to document. A while ago I decided to create everything I don’t see in the world. My practice is about creating from your own perspective - valuing
your own story and history.

This picture was taken at Trinity at their Garden Party in 2025. I have been photographing Soundsystem culture for some time; a few years ago, I asked Stryda (Teachings in Dub) if I could go along with my camera and document the music, the culture and the people.

I don't use flash, I just look for those little pockets of light. My photographs are different to those of an event photographer's, that is because I'm not really documenting the event. It's more about the culture, it's about the love for the music, it's about the people. A sort of nostalgia.

How do conversations about documentation and preservation link to your practice?

In the past I was collaborating with lots of different people through music. I often saw things that made me wish I had my camera there with me especially when it comes to that first generation of Caribbean Elders who came over because they were dying out very quickly. I realised there wasn’t really any documentation in the same way other cultures and people had been documented. I wanted to tell our stories but from our perspective.
We need places to tell our story.

How has your photography developed in the last few years?

I still document and tell stories. At first, I didn't like my photos, because it was so dark, and I didn't really know what I was doing. But I think I've developed a style now that captures it.
I just jumped in at the deep end. I'm not really the most technical. I don't really even know how the camera works, to be honest, but I just know what I like and that's what I aim for.

On this journey, I've also worked with Vanley Burke. He's a close friend widly known as the godfather of Black British photography. So, it's great to have a mentor like that, who I can just bounce ideas off but also just go to his place and just get super inspired.

What do you think is next for you then?

I’ve got hundreds of these photos. I document Carnival; Bristol Carnival, Notting Hill Carnival. I'm just wherever that Caribbean community is predominantly, and then it stretches out into different communities; the Black diaspora. I try my best to tell those stories and to document them. But there’s lots more I want to do.

You can see Selector (Mikey Dread, Channel One) in the RWA’s 173rd Annual Open Exhibition on view until Sunday 3 January 2027.

Lead image: Selector (Mikey Dread, Channel One) exhibited in the 173 Annual Open. Photographer Alastair Brookes / KoLAB Studios