Niall McDiarmid – British Portraits

1st September - 14th October

Exhibition opening days and times can be found at the end of the page.

Niall McDiarmid is a Scottish photographer based in London. His work is primarily about documenting the people and landscape of Britain.

Niall spent the last five years travelling the length and breadth of Britain building up a contemporary portrait of the country. He has photographed more than 1500 people in over 150 towns on his travels from Inverness all the way to Exeter.

In this new exhibition, Oriel Colwyn will show more than 60 images from this huge body of work.

Niall has also returned to shoot a series of new portraits in the towns along the North Wales coast, which form a unique part of the show.

“The project began in early 2011 with a view to simply photographing interesting people I met on the street. After a couple of months, however, I started to focus on building a body of portraits that would be a celebration of British diversity, a social document of modern Britain. I actively sought out people from different backgrounds and different ethnicities, often wearing attire that set them apart".

Battersea Rise, London - April 2014 © Niall McDiarmid

"In each of us there is a curiosity about the places we live, our cultural backgrounds, the clothes we wear, our family ties – ultimately our collective identity.”

Lukee and Levii, Bridgend, Wales, 2014 © Niall McDiarmid

"Visually, in film or photography, Britain has often been portrayed in subdued, almost monotone colours. This may partly have something to do with the weather, or maybe it’s just traditional preconceptions coming into play. By contrast, I’ve found inspiration in more vibrant colours and patterns that I encounter on every street of every town I’ve visited. They have shaped my stylistic approach, which often connects a subject’s clothing to their surroundings, so weaving them into the scene they occupy.”

English Street, Carlisle - Oct 2015 © Niall McDiarmid

Parade, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire - June 2015 © Niall McDiarmid

Gallery Square, Walsall - May 2012 © Niall McDiarmid

Meet Niall at the exhibition opening on the evening of Thursday 1st September (6.30pm - 9pm) - All welcome.

Niall McDiarmid:

If you happen to be in London for 17th September, Niall is leading a street portraiture session at the Photographers Gallery (Info)

Niall can be found on both Facebook and Twitter 

Web: www.niallmcdiarmid.com 

Exhibition Opening Times 

Opening times can sometimes vary, please check dates below if travelling. 

Fri 2nd Sept - 10am - 9pm

Sat 3rd Sept - 3pm - 9pm

Sun 4th Sept - CLOSED

Mon 5th Sept - 10am - 12.30pm

Tues 6th Sept - 12pm - 9pm

Wed 7th Sept - 10am - 12.30pm

Thurs 8th Sept - 10am - 5pm

Fri 9th Sept - 12.30pm - 9pm

Sat 10 Sept - 12.30pm - 9pm

Sun 11th Sept - CLOSED

Mon 12th Sept - 10am - 9pm

Tues 13th Sept - 10am - 2pm

Wed 14th Sept - 10am - 1.00pm / 4pm - 9pm

Thurs 15th Sept - 10am - 9pm

Fri 16th Sept - 10am - 9pm

Sat 17th Sept - 12.30pm- 9pm

Sun 18th Sept - CLOSED

Mon 19th Sept - 10am - 9pm

Tues 20th Sept - 10am - 5pm

Wed 21st Sept - CLOSED

Thurs 22nd Sept - 10am - 7pm

Fri 23rd Sept - 10am - 9pm