STUDIO WEST presentS Artist Portraits, South London based photographer Brynley Odu Davies’ debut solo exhibition. The show will feature a selection of Brynley’s never-before-exhibited artist studio portraits taken between 2020 and 2023. Featuring over 200 artists, the overall project is a testament to both Brynley’s unwavering commitment to platforming young creatives, and the talent of the artist subjects who collectively form the UK’s incredible emerging art scene.
The project itself was born almost by accident. In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic put a sudden stop to Brynley’s burgeoning career as a music photographer, he inadvertently found his calling. With little else to do, he began taking studio portraits of local South London based artists who he had befriended during his daily lockdown walks.
Brynley posted the first few images on Instagram, and was inundated with requests from other artists – suddenly, he realised he had hit on something rather magical and a monumental new project was born. Shooting at least five times a week and travelling across the entire UK, to date Brynley has photographed over 200 contemporary artists in their studios. The resultant images exist as a remarkable archive, presenting a panoptic, nationwide view of the creatives who are shaping the UK’s emerging art world, and will come to define its future.
Despite featuring a number of newly-established global talents, Brynley’s project aims to platform all young artists equally. His intent was not to chase the most successful or noteworthy artists, but instead to create a truly diverse, widespread and reflective record of the many individuals who make up the UK’s emerging art scene. Looking beyond capital cities and well-known art schools, Brynley let the project take him everywhere; from the shores of southern England up to the Scottish coast, across to Wales and on a ferry to Northern Ireland. His genuine approach and kind nature, meanwhile, imbues the final images with warmth and openness – each artist willingly welcomes the viewer into their sacred studio space. For Brynley, one of the most important aspects of the project has been the relationships he has made along the way, with many of the subjects now counting among his best friends.
Like Nat Finkelstein’s images of Andy Warhol’s Factory or David Bailey’s documentation of 60s London, Brynley’s images collectively form a unique and truly exceptional archive, immortalising the UK’s vibrant emerging art scene in the 2020s and featuring the household names of the future. STUDIO WEST is delighted to present this ambitious project for the first time, celebrating Brynley’s enormous undertaking and the exceptional talent of the remarkable featured artists.
Artists featured in the project include: Abigail Robertson, Adebayo Bolaji, Aimee Melaugh, Alex Giles, Alexander James, Alfie Rouy, Alia Hamaoui, Alice Bloomfield, Allan Gardner, Andras Nagy-Sandor, Andrea Cryer, Andrea Gomis, Ania Hobson, Anna Choutova, Anousha Payne, Ariane Heloise Hughes, Arthur Timothy, Ash McKean, Benjamin Murphy, Billy Bagilhole, Billy Fraser, Bobbye Fermie, Brian Mountford, Caitlin Flood-Molyneux, Callum Eaton, Cameron Stewart, Casper White, Catherine Repko, Cathy Tabbakh, Cece Philips, Cecilia Reeve, Charlotte Archer, Charlotte Edey, Christian Ovonlen, Christian Quin Newell, Ciaran Harper, Clara Chu, Connie Harrison, Connor Kawaii, Conor Murgatroyd, Corbin Shaw, Curtis Holder, Daisy Parris, Dan Hollings, Danielle Metcalfe-Shaw, Danny Romeril, David Iain Brown, David Paton, Douglas Cantor, Eimear Nic Roibeaird, Elsa Rouy, Favour Jonathan, Fergus Polglase, Fern Lucia O’Carolan, Flora Lawrence, Florence Hutchings, Georg Wilson, Grace Mattingly, Hannah Lim, Harley Roberts, Harry Hugo Little, Holly Halkes, Hongxi Li, Hugo Harris, Hugo Hutchings, Igor Moritz, Imogen Allen, Ines Fernandez de Cordova, Jack Whitelock, Jacob Littlejohn, Jaffar Aly, Jake Garfield, James Owens, Jamiu Agboke, Jane Rainey, Jim Brook, Jimmy Hyde, Joe Warrior-Walker, Jonathan Conlon, Jonathan McCree, Joy Yamusangie, Kai Ohlsen, Kate Burling, Kemi Onabule, Ken Nwadiogbu, Kim Booker, Liam Bradley, Lily Kemp, Llain Wire, Louise Giovanelli, Luisa Me, Madi Marcantonatos, Marcus Aitken, Marcus Nelson, Mari Catrin Phillips, Maria Mahfooz, Mattia Guarnera-MacCarthy, Maya Shoham, Megan Rea, Michaela McManus, Miranda Forrester, Molley May, Molly Hankinson, Natalia Gonzalez Martin, Nettle Grellier, Niall McLaughlin, Nicole Coson, Nina Silverberg, Noorain Inam, Ntiense Eno-Amooquaye, Olivia Sterling, Oriele Steiner, Peter Carrick, Peter Doyle, Phoebe Jordan Cowley, Preslav Kostov, Rachel Stanley, Rafa Silvares, Rafał Zajko, Rayvenn Shaleigha D’Clark, Rebecca Gilpin, Robert Leuan de Haan, Rosa Roberts, Rose Electra Harris, Rowan Rosie, Ryan Hawaii, Salomé Wu, Sam Hutchinson, Sam Nowell, Samuel Bassett, Selby Hi, Shannon Bono, Shaqúelle Whyte, Sholto Blissett, Sola Olulode, Sophia Bharmal, Sophia Campbell, Sophie Vallance Cantor, Stephen Anthony Davids, Sunyoung Hwang, Theo Bardsley, Tim Garwood, Tom Ribot, Tom White, Trackie McLeod, Tristan Buckland, Valerie Savchits, Victoria Cantons, Will Harman, Xu Yang and Zayn Qahtani.
Brynley Odu Davies (b.1995) is a South London based British photographer. He began his career in photography at the age of 15, first studying at Bath College before completing an undergraduate degree in Digital Photography at Ravensbourne University, London. He has lived in Peckham for 9 years and has worked as a full-time photographer since graduating in 2018. His first professional job was shooting for local newspaper, The Peckham Peculiar. He then worked with music industry clients including The Ministry of Sound and Peckham events venue, Bussey Building.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Brynley’s work in the music industry dried up as many live music events were cancelled. At this time, he became friends with a group of artists in his local area and began taking studio portraits for them. From this moment on, his career as an art photographer was born. Since then, he has photographed over 200 artists in their studios across the UK. He has also worked with galleries and institutions including Beers London, Blue Shop Cottage, Cob Gallery, Fores Project, Guts Gallery, Saatchi Gallery and South London Gallery. His work has been featured in numerous print and online publications including Art Plugged, Artnet, BBC Wales, Bricks Magazine, FAD Magazine, Metal Magazine, Office Magazine and Piece with Artist.
Brynley Odu Davies : Artists Portraits
5 May – 31 May 2023
STUDIO WEST
216 Kensington Park Rd
London, W111NR
www.studiowest.art
@studio_west_gallery
