Local Heroes: London & New York (2002) was a photographic project and exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery (26 October 2002 – 30 March 2003) as part of the London String of Pearls Golden Jubilee Festival.

Asemota was invited to work with teenagers - Marvin Osemwegie, Melvin Jasper Lodge, Edmond Poru and Merrick Edwards - at From Boyhood to Manhood Foundation a Peckham based day-support centre for socially excluded young people, to produce a photographic portfolio of their local heroes. Their images as well as their workbooks and photo log sheets were displayed alongside portraits of fire fighters, volunteer workers and airline staff taken by photographer Jonas Karllson at Ground Zero in New York for a special Vanity Fair magazine supplement.

Asemota was also commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery to produce portraits of his students for the exhibition.

Exhibition poster. Photo by Merrick Edwards

Contact sheet featuring Merrick Edwards, Marvin Osemwegie, Edmond Poru and Melvin Jasper Lodge

Local Heroes: London & New York

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