A Look Back at the West Midlands Painters Exhibition

Last June, I had the chance to be part of the West Midlands Painters Exhibition organised by Bostin Art Gallery. It was my first exhibition of 2024 and my first one since finishing my master’s. After spending so much time experimenting and figuring out my niche, it felt great to showcase a set of paintings that worked together as a collective. The exhibition brought together painters from all over the West Midlands, each with totally different styles and backgrounds. That mix made it such an inspiring experience—it was refreshing to see how varied painting can be, yet still be connected through a shared love for the craft.

The exhibition was held at The Birmingham Black Box in the Jewellery Quarter. It was the perfect venue for an art show—spacious, loads of wall space, and the best part? A glass ceiling that flooded the space with natural light. If you’ve ever exhibited before, you know how much of a game-changer that is. Good lighting makes all the difference when it comes to how paintings are experienced.

I exhibited two paintings, they were displayed in a shallow alcove in the wall, which unintentionally framed them as if they were one collective piece. I’ve been slightly obsessed with painting over old paintings lately—ones I’ve fallen out of love with—and giving them new life. There’s something really cathartic about it, like a fresh start but with layers of a past love peeking through. With this series, I played around with removing parts of the new layer to reveal elements of the old painting, creating this cool checkerboard effect. Texture and shapes are my thing, so it felt very me.

Now, here’s a funny story from the exhibition. A BBC reporter came up to interview me… while I was very, very drunk. Let’s just say I highly doubt that chat ever saw the light of day because I was probably talking absolute nonsense. To be fair, I do recall still being very well-spoken (or at least I’d like to think so), but I’d pay good money to hear what exactly came out of my mouth that night. Lesson learned: don’t drink at the bar at an art show just incase the BBC is there. Also, shoutout to my newfound sobriety for keeping potential future interviews a little more professional!

Jokes aside, being part of this exhibition gave me a fresh perspective on where I can take my practice. It pushed me to think bigger and go into this year with a whole new level of optimism and confidence in my practice. Looking back, I’m grateful for the experience, the people I met, and the chance to be surrounded by such talented artists. Fast forward to this year, the collective hosted another exhibition, We Want Cobs and Roses Too. It’s been great to see how the group continues to grow and push the local art scene forward.