Der Greif Studio x Kinrise
The Concept - “A Thriving Birmingham”
Der Greif Studio‘s “A Thriving Birmingham” for 81 Colmore Row, a unique workplace by Kinrise, is to bring together UK based or born artists to create points of artistic inspiration throughout the newly refurbished historic buil- ding while connecting with the local artist community. We selected artworks by eight UK artists from our community, including two from Birmingham, to reflect the city’s creative diversity. The chosen works align with the “Six Themes of a Thriving City” promoted by Kinrise: the True, the Good, the Be- autiful, the Prosperous, the Just and Well-Ordered, and the Sustainable. The curation offers a thoughtful dialogue between art, space, and community.
Thomas Martin - London based
Thomas Martin’s work explores memory as an "inner landscape shaped by what we’ve seen, felt, and lost," resonating with The True – Human Knowledge. Created during his residency near Mt. Fuji, his photographs reflect the region’s shifting landscape on a fault line – alive, adapting, and in constant transformation. This idea of resilience mirrors the theme’s pursuit of knowledge, learning from change rather than resisting it.
Léa Campbell - Birmingham based
Léa Campbell’s series, shot at Bread and Flowers workshops in London, aligns with The Good - Social Mores and Ethics. These workshops offer refugee women skills, education, and employment, helping them rebuild their lives. Campbell’s emotive photographs highlight art’s role in advocacy and social justice, fostering connection and empowerment. Her work also emphasises how creativity can drive positive transformation in society.
Katya Ilina - London based
Katya Ilina’s work, connects with The Good – Social Mores and Ethics, exploring identity, human experience, and gender. She challenges divisions by celebrating shared humanity, often working with women and LGBTQ+ communities. Her artwork "Beyond Measure" (2023) captures water transforming into fog, where the tangible dissolves into the infinite. Inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto’s seascapes, this piece reflects fluidity, perception and self-determination.
Catriona Gray - London based
Catriona Gray’s analogue processes align with The Beautiful - Aesthetics, where she turns discarded materials into vibrant, abstract artworks. Using old papers and chemicals, she embraces accidents – splattering, cutting, and soaking – to create beauty from imperfection. She often incorporates street weeds, seeing them as symbols of resilience and regrowth, much like restoring old buildings into thriving new spaces.
Christian Jago - Colchester based
Christian Jago’s work connects with The Prosperous - Economic Life, exploring cycles of growth, decay, and renewal. In his technicolour work, he captures fleeting moments in nature, layering images from Ireland, Scotland, and England to create vibrant compositions. Inspired by the seasonal shifts in the landscape, his work mirrors the constant flux of natural ecosystems and economies, emphasising transformation, innovation, and sustainability.
Catherine Losing - London based
Catherine Losing’s work, commissioned for the feminist magazine Riposte, aligns with The Just and Well-Ordered – Political and Civil Life by highlighting gender disparity. Created with set designer Anna Lomax, her geometric compositions – crafted from paper and perspex – symbolise balance and unity. The structured forms reflect the equilibrium needed for a just society, communicating complex issues through bold, impactful imagery.
Jeremy Knowles - British artist, based in Berlin
Jeremy Knowles’ "8am Walks" aligns with The Just and Well-Ordered – Political and Civil Life. Through walking, photographing and writing, Knowles critically engages with the city, questioning and reinterpreting urban spaces. His work can be seen in this context to highlight how political and civil life shape – and are shaped by – public spaces, urban flow and the hidden corners and nuances of a city. The series documents scenes of order and disorder, with elements of humour.
Sonia Bhamra - Birmingham based
Sonia Bhamra’s work aligns with The Sustainable – The Natural Environment, transforming familiar landscapes into otherworldly scenes, expanding how we engage with the environment. In her "Surreal Landscapes," shot in Birmingham parks, she highlights the importance of green spaces within cities, that offer sanctuary amidst fast-paced urban life. Her digitally manipulated photographs invite us to reconsider how we connect with nature and the spaces we inhabit.
About Der Greif Studio
Der Greif Studio curates and implements projects that integrate photo
and video art in interiors to create authentic visual stories for their partners in hospitality and workspaces. Their passion is to discover and nurture un- and under-represented artists. They have built a global community of artists and image makers, and provide an ecosystem for them and their work. They source a bespoke selection of artworks from specific locations to create va- luable connections with local artist communities. They tailor their proposals to fit individual environments and spaces, following their partners’ lead on the values, ideas and visual impact they wish to create.
Read about the exhibition on their website here.