Portrait of Miroslav Stoykov in The World in London exhibition.

This grid photograph is part of a series of portraits that were taken over the course of two years of Miroslav (Miro), a middleweight Mixed Martial Arts fighter and Freestyle wrestler.

Wrestling is everything to him. When I first saw him he was hanging out on a building site. Since I street cast my subjects it was only natural to ask if he would pose for me. I shot these pictures in the studio using a Polaroid camera and film. This was the first and only time that I took pictures of Miro sparring and I shot in the studio in order to avoid the photogenic grittiness of boxing gyms. I think the photos capture a mixture of emotions that reflect my perception of Miro, who was twenty-one years old at the time.

The World in London project reflects on issues of migration and communities that I also investigate in my work. It has given me the opportunity to consider the grid as a new mode of presentation for my work in a public art context. My portrait of Miro will be part of the urban backdrop to the London 2012 Games, which makes me very proud.

The World in London is a celebration of Londoners and demonstrates photography’s ability to capture the human form in interesting and distinct ways. The project is organised by The Photographers’ Gallery and forms part of the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad.

• http://theworldinlondon.org.uk/#bul
• http://thespace.org/items/e0000gpw?t=66g...
• http://www.itaidoron.com/