Gregory Day’s new solo exhibition, THE HEATH – Contrasts and Parallels, is a striking exploration of creativity and humanity.
Held at Nook Gallery in the heart of Birmingham’s King’s Heath, the exhibition brings together ten intimate black and white portraits of local artists. However, this isn’t just a collection of black and white portraits – it’s a deep dive into the core of creativity itself. Getting up close and personal to celebrate every line, furrow and hair; an intimate marker of the sitter at that moment in time.
At the heart of this project is a question: What drives us to create? For Gregory Day, a ‘fine art(ish)’ photographer based in Tamworth/Birmingham, this question is more than artistic curiosity – it’s a personal mission. His series, THE SEARCH, documents creatives across the West Midlands. Each artist is distinct, with their own history, following personal artistic principles and methods of working that are unique to them alone. And yet they all share the same intrinsic need to create. Individuals drawn together by the common thread that links them all; an overpowering urge to express something of one’s self, to explore their own personal motivations and influences, to seek to take a leap of faith, and to forge something new that has never existed before.
A portrait of a community
THE HEATH is the first chapter in this journey, documenting members of the United Artists of South Birmingham. The UASB are a diverse and close-knit group of visual artists working across painting, stitching, mixed media, and more.
“Creatives have always been my favourite people to photograph,” Gregory explains. “We’ve all taken a leap and chosen the hard path, and yet every creative’s journey is unique to them. The urge, the need to create over well… kinda everything else really.”
“I love chatting to other artists, taking their picture and getting to know their stories, their thought mechanisms, why they do what they do, how they do it, why they make the creative decisions they make. How their work makes them feel. Honest human stuff. It completely fascinates me. It’s inspiring. I love it.”
The project began over a coffee with his friend and fellow artist Sam Weeks. “We realised that we were all kind of searching for something… but we didn’t know what,” he says. “Through THE SEARCH, by talking to other creatives, I’m hoping I’ll be able to understand it just that little bit more.”
“I don’t know why I do what I do, I just know that I love it and I’m compelled to do it. It’s not a choice – I create because I must.”
– Gregory Day
Tiggy’s Story
Among the portraits, one sitting stands out as especially meaningful. Gregory recalls photographing Tiggy (Martine Wesley-Worrall), a mixed media artist whose work explores abstract landscapes and often includes an element of stitching or needlework. What Gregory thought would be a typical shoot turned into something much deeper.
“She explained that she’d just been through a really difficult few years,” he says. “I hadn’t known this when I approached her to sit for me. She told me how having her photograph taken in this manner was a significant forward step, and that it represented an important progression towards her reclaiming personal freedoms. I always feel a sense of responsibility, but this caught me completely off-guard. It was humbling to hear what this portrait meant to her, and to realise exactly how much trust she was placing in me.”
“I felt a lot of pressure whilst completing this one as I really didn’t want to let Tiggy down. I wanted to produce something that was true to both myself and her.” he says. “I think it might be the most honest portrait I’ve made.”
From Screen to Print: The Transformational Power of Paper
Halo Print & Frame beautifully produced the prints for THE HEATH exhibition using PermaJet’s Baryta Rag 310 fine art inkjet paper. This paper is the perfect partner for Day’s distinctive monochrome style. The deep blacks, glistening highlights, and complex mid-tones leap from the page with incredible detail.
“They’ve existed for so long as tiny images on screens, but it’s amazing to now see them as full-scale prints, as they were always meant to be. It’s wonderful to see them all together, side by side as a single unified body of work that allows the viewer to compare, contrast and explore each image completely. The prints are stunning and the blacks, whites and mid-tones fly off the paper.” said Gregory.
PermaJet Baryta Rag 310 gave the portraits the gravitas and depth they deserved. Its rich tonality, satin finish and striking Dmax helped create a tangible connection between viewer and subject.
“This is the first time I’ve really had my work printed, and it’s opened up a mountain of new thoughts and ideas. Inspirational! It’s definitely a moment,” Gregory reflects.
An Emotional Journey
Gregory wants viewers of his prints to engage fully with each image, both visually and emotionally. “I want them to take the time to really look at, and get to know each face. To consider every unique feature, every line and furrow. Precious records of lives lived,” he says. “To appreciate each subject as singular and rare. I want them to wonder about the unique stories that may have brought that face to this moment in time, and how those experiences might relate to their own face, and their own history.”
“I want every image to give the viewer a substantial and rewarding work-out for both the eyes and the mind. Big and punchy, yet small and subtle.”
It’s this contrast that gives THE HEATH its emotional impact. You’re not just seeing a portrait; you’re witnessing a moment in a creative life, captured honestly and without filter.
What’s next for Gregory Day and THE HEATH?
Running from July 10th–20th at Nook gallery in King’s Heath, THE HEATH – Contrasts and Parallels invites us to really look at the human face, and consider what drives us to create. But what’s next for Gregory after this exhibition?
“First, a sit down. Then a beer, a bit of a cry, a huge amount of pizza… and a sleep. I’m tired, man.”
But he’s not ready to close the book on THE HEATH just yet, wanting to take it out on the road. “I hadn’t considered it before – I was going to close this chapter of THE SEARCH, but finally seeing it in print has given me new ideas and it would be a real shame to leave it at this point. I want more people to see it and experience the 10 portraits that make up the work. It’s early days though… let’s see how this initial exhibition goes first.”
THE HEATH – Contrasts and Parallels July 10–20, 2025
Venue: Nook Gallery, Kings Heath, Birmingham
Printed by: Halo Print & Frame on PermaJet Baryta Rag 310
