2008-2011 Ruskin Hall, Birmingham City University
BA (Hons) Art and Design
2006-2008 Ruskin Hall, Bournville School of Fine Arts
Foundation Art & Design
2005-2005 Solihull College
Introduction to Photography
My early interest in art was sparked by drawings and sketches; "for me school education was a pain and difficult to grasp." I found my artistic strengths as a result. Following my graduation, I became interested in travelling and learning how to take pictures of Florence's architecture and cityscapes. I consequently signed up for a three-week introductory photography course. I went to college to study visual arts, which shaped my understanding and concepts of capturing society within their environments of everyday lives, storytelling through documentary and street photography through painting that gave me a way to communicate visually, and a renewed passion for photography and a voracious appetite for knowledge.
A few to mention influences of my work in documentary photography.
Martin Parr
His art frequently addresses social issues, especially the peculiarities and quirks of British life. By offering viewers a fresh perspective on well-known scenes, Parr's photography critiques consumerism, leisure, and the customs of contemporary society.
Chris Coekin,
worked within the genre of documentary. personal and subjective, it was very much in a traditional photojournalistic subject recording the superficialities of the working men’s club—bingo, drinking. an alternative way to use a visual language.
Liz Hingley,
her a unique perspective on the city’s diversity. Hingley is an independent photographer working on long-term projects that explore sensitive social issues such as migration, home, and contemporary urban ritual through the depiction of everyday lives.
Collection of work: a number of street photography documentaries
In 2010, on the 11c bus route
The longest bus route in Birmingham is the subject of a six-month documentary that can take up to three hours to finish. Since I grew up in Brum and was used to taking the number 11 bus, the idea of enhancing connections to the city's suburbs appealed to me as an adult. The service transports 50,000 passengers daily.
2010's Broad Street
gives a glimpse of an environment's insight.
most popular destination for people of all ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds that celebrates a range of arts, music, and community events. It's a melting pot for diversity. By depicting this part of my hometown of Birmingham, I hope to show a glimmer of communities coming together to unwind and have fun. It's a place to dance and be entertained.
Title: The Bullring Market in Birmingham, 2010
Going to the bullring markets on Saturdays is one of my first memories of growing up in Birmingham in the 1970s. Before heading back home, my mother and my siblings would always shop for meat, veggies, or fish, browse the stores that sold clothes and shoes, and then stop for a cup of tea in the café.
With so many options and a generation of stall owners to stop and talk to, you might find yourself spending an entire day there after spending hours in one place.
Even though the bullring market's exterior has evolved over the centuries to meet the growing demand for produce, it still has a long-standing community of regular patrons and stall owners. Because of this, I wanted to depict a setting of daily life that has existed since 1154, with both young and old generations running the stalls and market patrons.
Title: Kent's Herne Bay, 2011–14
After completing my studies at university in 2011, I relocated to Herne Bay, Kent, where I documented and took pictures of my surroundings to capture the way of life of the locals. In a seaside town, the quiet life of a community without tourists, the uncrowded shops still open for business, waiting for customers to arrive through the long winters.
Different series from a body of work based around flowers grown from my garden
Title: Garden Rebuilding, 2014/20
When I returned to my home city of Birmingham in 2014, “a new project would take me away from street photography”. I, a resident, tried to transform this wasteland into a garden again. “Nature inspired me to create a peaceful space in an urban environment within the hustle and bustle of a busy city to document nature and the change of seasons and how a setting can change the mindset to a place of relaxed feelings and a sense of wellbeing.”
Title: Self-Portraits, 2020–2021
Situations in life have given rise to new topics to investigate regarding introspection and adjusting to change. Previously photographing coastal towns, cities, and villages throughout the United Kingdom, "I chose to self-project" in order to document my own life, how I managed living alone during a pandemic, and experimenting with self-portraits in a studio setting during a period of uncertainty.
Painting series 2021/26
Cornwall on Canvas, 2021/26
I relocated to Cornwall in search of a more tranquil and leisurely pace of life, away from the bustle of my hometown of Birmingham. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Cornish coastline and its historic architecture, I used paints and brushes to create images on canvases. "Creativity and a connection with nature are essential" in life circumstances, a place to go for mental clarity and well-being.