Anika Byrne's portraiture practice is rooted in a deep fascination with the human face and the stories it carries. Working exclusively in black and white, she strips away the distractions of colour to focus on expression, light, and the relationship between photographer and subject. Based in Islington since 2017, she shoots primarily in her converted garage studio using a mixture of natural and continuous light. Her ongoing series 'Neighbours', intimate portraits of the people who live on her street, was shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize in 2024 and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. Anika studied Photography at the University of Westminster and previously assisted Mary McCartney and Nadav Kander.