This ongoing photographic project explores the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, a religious movement founded in 1956 in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, Nigeria. Although the organisation has churches and followers across the world, this body of work focuses primarily on its communities in the UK, particularly in Manchester and London.

Living in Manchester, and with a long-standing interest in how people express and celebrate their religious beliefs, I was immediately drawn to the visual and cultural richness of the organisation. At the time, I was already midway through photographing religious celebrations in Spain for my project Tierra Santa, so encountering another deeply symbolic and performative form of worship felt both natural and creatively significant.

My introduction to the Brotherhood first came through the work of Homer Sykes, one of my favourite British photographers, who photographed the organisation during the 1990s. His images immediately captured my attention through their striking visual contrasts and atmosphere, sparking a curiosity that pushed me to learn more about the movement and the people behind it.

Eventually, I made contact with the church in Manchester and began attending gatherings and Sunday masses regularly. Over several months, I photographed moments of worship, celebration, music, ritual, and community life. What began as visual curiosity gradually evolved into a deeper documentary exploration shaped by observation, trust, and a desire to better understand the role faith and belonging play within diasporic communities.

As the project developed, that curiosity eventually led me to London to attend one of the organisation’s worldwide gatherings, where members from different countries came together. Photographing there became one of the most intense and visually overwhelming experiences I have had as a photographer. Surrounded by layered ceremonies, movement, colour, music, and constant activity, the challenge shifted from simply documenting events to finding moments of clarity and meaning within the complexity unfolding around me.

The project explores the intersection of faith, migration, identity, and collective experience, while also reflecting my broader interest in photography’s ability to observe and interpret human rituals across different cultures and environments.