Kris Askey, a professional photographer from Birmingham, has been documenting street life in the city (Photograph: Theo Gove-Humphries)
A young Birmingham photographer who has been capturing beautifully candid images of street life in the city centre is to showcase his work in his first public gallery exhibition.
Shooting since 2011, Kris Askey’s stark and emotive images of everyday citizens journeying through the bustling streets of Birmingham have struck a chord with many who have discovered his work on social media.
Capturing candid moments in all seasons, 30-year-old Kris – from Hollywood in the south of the city – has decided to display his work at the Park View Gallery in Kings Heath for a 30-day exhibition.
Kris Askey has been capturing candid shots of life on the streets of Birmingham (Photograph: Kris Askey)
Kris Askey has been capturing candid shots of life on the streets of Birmingham (Photograph: Kris Askey)
Explaining his photographic journey and immersion into street photography, he said:
“I had always loved photography but never really practiced it until 2011. As time went on, it was becoming more and more of a daily hobby, eventually becoming my main passion in life. I worked full-time as a graphic designer in an agency in Sutton, and also eventually in broadcasting within Birmingham.
“With these jobs my creativity was always flowing, but I found myself always wanting to be out capturing images. There was always something about being in different places, meeting different people and photographing different things.
“After being incredibly frustrated with a lack of spare time (after full-time working hours), I began to document my commute. There was about 25 minutes available as I walked to work, and about 30 minutes on the way back. This allowed me to have respect for every day life and the moments and situations that some people may miss on a daily basis.
“My admiration for street photography was always there, and I always practiced it when I went to different countries. But I never opened my eyes to the city of Birmingham, I guess you always overlook the things that are always there right in front of your eyes on a daily basis.”
A woman sits on a train, as captured by photographer Kris Askey (Photograph: Kris Askey)
A woman walks outside the Pavilions shopping centre (Photograph: Kris Askey)
A passenger on a train at Moor Street Station (Photograph: Kris Askey)
Kris’ experience and confidence soon translated itself into a very impressive portfolio of images, and last year he was commissioned to capture images of young patients at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for the charity’s Stars of Steelhouse Lane exhibition, which was displayed in New Street and Victoria Square.
His passion for capturing the moment has lead him to collaborate with other prominent Birmingham photographers including Theo Gove-Humphries and Ross Jukes.
Prominent activist Salma Yaqoob speaking during a ‘Don’t Bomb Syria’ protest in Birmingham (Photograph: Kris Askey)
The concourse at Grand Central Birmingham (Photograph: Kris Askey)
“After photographing Birmingham for around 4 years, the ‘Split-Second City’ exhibition is a candid insight into the everyday moments happening all over the centre of the Second City.
“The main element of my photography is simply, people. I am continually fascinated by the glorious variety of people and cultures within society. It’s hard not to be inspired once you open your eyes to the moments and people of everyday life, rather than just focusing on celebrities and large-scale popular events.”
The Birmingham skyline, as seen from the city’s Jewellery Quarter (Photograph: Kris Askey)
Collaborating on his new project with local filmmakers Theo Gove-Humphries, Pete Styles and Craig Bush, the team have produced a short film documenting Kris at work, as he hits the streets for inspiration.
Limited prints of Kris Askey’s work will also be available to buy, a must-have for art and photography enthusiasts wanting to personally own and cherish a sample of his craft.
“The exhibition will display 25 hand-picked images from an archive of around 10,000. Similar to the fleeting moments happening each day on the streets of Birmingham, each piece of photography will be ‘Limited Edition’ never to be sold again in the same format. As well as framed photographic prints, some limited edition pieces will be available as large format ‘Metal Aluminium’ prints that have been printed straight onto metal with a ‘Satin’ finish.”
Kris Askey covering an event in Birmingham earlier this month (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
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WHEN?
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February 18th 2017 – March 18th 2017. Please note that Saturday February 18th is a Private Viewing and is subject to invite only.
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WHERE?
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Park View Gallery, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7QL.
Opening times are as follows: MON – CLOSED / TUE – 10am-5pm / WED – 10am-4pm / THU – 11am-6pm / FRI – 10am-5.30pm / SAT – 10am-4pm / SUN – CLOSED
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WHAT?
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The exhibition will present a range of hand-picked, ‘Limited Edition’ pieces of street photography taken in Birmingham by Kris Askey.
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PURCHASE?
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All of the photography on display will be for sale. However please bear in mind, each piece will be of a limited availability and once it is SOLD there will be no more printed or available for sale.
The Library of Birmingham, as captured by Kris Askey (Photograph: Kris Askey)
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The Split-Second City exhibition takes place between Saturday 18th February – Saturday 18th March, at The Print Room@70b, at the Park View Gallery in Kings Heath.
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