Reuben Colley Explained

Reuben Colley
Nationality:	British
Occupation:	Artist

Reuben Colley (born 1976) is a British representational painter primarily recognised for his "gritty" city-scapes^[1] and parkland scenes depicting his home town of Birmingham, England.^{[2] [3]} His work is included in the collection of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and private collections both nationally and internationally.

Life

Colley studied at Bournville Art College, Birmingham, and in 1995, he enrolled at The University of Wolverhampton, where he gained a BA Honours in Fine Art, specialising in painting.^[4]

Through his work he has supported charitable causes including Freedom from Torture^[5] and Birmingham Children's Hospital.^[6]

After founding a commercial gallery (Reuben Colley Fine Arts) in the Moseley district of Birmingham in 2010, the gallery relocated to Birmingham's city centre on Colmore Row in 2015.^[7]

Colley has said: "I don't paint a particular subject, I try to depict an atmosphere".^[8] He's explained his process, saying:

Awards

• 2002 Best Up and Coming Published Artist. Fine Art Trade Guild^[9]
• 2007 Best Work on Paper - Birmingham Open. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
• 2012 Best Painting - West Midlands Open. Wolverhampton Art Gallery / Birmingham Museums

Exhibitions

• 2001 Impressions of Birmingham, Halcyon Gallery, Birmingham^[10]
• 2002 Streetlife. ICC, Birmingham
• 2002 Impressions of London, Harrods, London^[11]
• 2003 Forward. ICC, Birmingham
• 2005 California. Bruton Street, London
• 2005 Venice. ICC, Birmingham
• 2007 Urban Landscapes. New Bond Street, London
• 2007 Birmingham Open. Gas Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery^[12]
• 2008 Reuben Colley Exhibition. ICC, Birmingham
• 2008 The Art Of Birmingham 1940 to the Millennium. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
• 2009 Birmingham Seen. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery^[13]
• 2010 City of Culture Exhibition in conjunction with Birmingham City Council. RCFA,^[14] Birmingham
• 2011 Reuben Colley Exhibition. Hay Hill Gallery. Cork Street, Mayfair^[15]
• 2012 My Birmingham. RCFA, Birmingham
• 2013 City Living. RCFA, Birmingham^[16]
• 2015 Change In the Inner City, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery^{[17] [18]}
• 2016 City Living Collection II. RCFA, Birmingham^[19]
• 2017 Remnant (Preview). Bridge Gallery, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery^[20]
• 2017 Remnant. RCFA, Birmingham^{[21] [22]}
• 2018 Group Exhibition. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery^[23]

Acquisitions

• 2002 Council House. Acquired by Birmingham City Council
• 2003 Brindley Light. Acquired by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
• 2006 Vitol Oil - London. Acquired by Vitol Group
• 2011 9:45 Church Street. Acquired by Brown Shipley Private Bank. Birmingham^[24]
• 2011 Selfridges at Night, Birmingham. Acquired by Selfridges, Birmingham
• 2015 John Lewis Birmingham Portfolio. (A collection of five paintings). Acquired by The John Lewis Partnership, John Lewis, Grand Central, Birmingham
• 2018 Birmingham Law Courts. Acquired by The Birmingham Law Society.^[25]

External links

• • Birmingham Living Magazine feature (2013)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gritty side of Birmingham inspires painter. Chamberlain. Zoe. 21 February 2014. Birmingham Mail. 22 November 2017.
2. Web site: RCFA News pages. 22 November 2017.
3. Web site: 2012 Best Painting - West Midlands Open. 22 November 2017.
4. Web site: Hayhill gallery. 22 November 2017.
5. Web site: Birmingham Artists Supports Anti-torture charity. 22 November 2017.
6. Web site: The Big Sleuth. 22 November 2017.
7. Web site: Artist Reuben Colley opens new Colmore Row art gallery. Young. Graham. 5 March 2015. Birmingham Mail. 6 March 2015.
8. Web site: Reuben Colley Interview. gregoryeditions.com. 22 November 2017.
9. Web site: The Fine Art Trade Guild's Best New Artist 2001. 22 November 2017.
10. Book: Remaking Birmingham. 9781134442577. 2 February 2018. Kennedy. Liam. 15 April 2013.
11. Web site: Impressions of London. The Guardian. 22 November 2017.
12. Web site: Birmingham Open exhibition. BBC website. 22 November 2017.
13. Web site: Birmingham Seen exhibition. 22 November 2017.
14. Web site: Reuben Colley Fine Arts Gallery.
15. Web site: The Cork Street Collection. 22 November 2017.
16. Web site: City Living exhibition. Birmingham Mail. 22 November 2017.
17. Web site: Reuben Colley included in Change In the Inner City exhibition. 22 November 2017.
18. Web site: Change In the Inner City exhibition. 22 November 2017.
19. Web site: City Living Collection II. 22 November 2017.
20. Web site: Remnant Collection at Birmingham Museum and Art. 22 November 2017.
21. Web site: Remnant collection. 22 November 2017.
22. Web site: Remnant exhibition. 22 November 2017.
23. Web site: Reuben Colley Fine Art exhibition. 7 November 2018.
24. Web site: Brown Shipley press release. 22 November 2017.
25. Web site: Law society commissions painting. 12 August 2018.