Sketches traded for stories at Billingsgate fish market – in pictures

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Commuting to Docklands at 5am is not the typical artist’s routine, but it’s been Pat Wingshan Wong’s since she started visiting Billingsgate fish market in 2019 to capture life there ahead of its planned move to Dagenham in 2025 . “ I wanted to show the significance of the space, and how it’s affected by rapid urban development,” she says.

She would sketch portraits of the fishmongers and barter these in return for their stories and memorabilia. “That’s my biggest achievement, making friends with them... now I miss it on days I don’t go.” The full archive is on show at the market cafe until 10 July .

See more at barter-archive.com