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 exhibition, Oriel Colwyn showed 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
Niall McDiarmid:
Niall can be found on both Facebook and Twitter
Web: www.niallmcdiarmid.com