Who am I?

14/07/1979 - Present Day

You’ve possibly seen me on Welcome to Wrexham, so I guess I’m a Disney Princess now. I’m supposed to sell myself here by being professional, but if you want to know about me, I should tell you about who I actually am and not a media friendly soundbite designed to make me seem more impressive than I am.

My name is Oliver, but everyone who knows me calls me Olly. I live and work in Wrexham, North Wales. I take what you could call ‘documentary photographs’ because I believe that the things we do now, no matter how insignificant, are valuable to the future. I’m nowt special and to use a Buddhist analogy, I’m just a finger pointing at the moon. Sometimes I do it for money, but most of the time I do it because I feel it needs to be done.

I should describe myself as a ‘multi-disciplinary artist’, but I just don’t like how it sounds. I draw, paint, take photos and write, amongst other things. I was a graphic designer working in marketing for a decade, which was soul destroying. Which is why I now only take on work that I can stand proudly behind and that doesn’t try to take money out of people’s pockets for greed.

I’m half Welsh and half Scottish, born in 1979 in Manchester to working class parents, but I was raised in middle class West London. I never fitted in with my past or present, and growing up queer furthered feelings of otherness. A lot of my work is about memory and place, specifically my own relationship to Wales as a country and a part of my identity. My photos help me figure out who I am and where I fit.

I first tried uni when I was 18, but dropped out in my second year. I went back at 29 and now I’ve got pieces of paper that say I have BA in Fine Art, and an MA in Art Practice. I went to art school to be an oil painter but came out a documentary photographer, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

My favourite band is Adorable, I’ve watched I’m Alan Partridge far too many times for my own good, and despite my gruff appearance I’m really a friendly teddybear. It’s almost possible for me to watch Aliens (1986) with the sound off as I’m sure I know it word for word… I think I’ve watched it over 100 times by now. When I moved to Wrexham in 2008 I was suicidal, depressed, and an alcoholic. Art school literally saved my life, and helped me get sober (for 8 years now) and happy. Art gave me a purpose, and photography taught me not only to look at the world but to see it and experience it.

With all that said, let’s face it, you’re also on this page to see who I’ve worked for :P

Over the last few years I’ve worked on projects for The Turf, National Theatre Wales, Ty Pawb, UnDegUn, Ty Cornel, Avant Cymru, Breakin’ Convention, Wynne Construction, Wrexham Glyndwr University, the School of Creative Arts (formerly North Wales School of Art & Design), and been in a variety of group art shows over the last 15 years.

COMMISSIONS, SHOWS, and STUFF

  • NYCE 2025 / Documentary Photography / National Centre for Circus Arts / Commission
    Wrexham Police FC / Sports Photography / Wrexham Police / Volunteer
    Wrexham Mural Trail / Documentary Photography / WCBC / Commission
    Dispensary Gallery x Hypha / Documentary Photography / Dispensary Gallery / Commission
    Voicebox / Documentary Photography / Natasha Borton / Commission

  • NYCE 2024 / Documentary Photography / National Centre for Circus Arts / Commission
    Nearly There Yet / Documentary Photography / Ed Spoons / Commission
    Red Roach Records / Documentary & Promo Photography / Red Roach Records / Commission
    The Bridge That Connects Us / Workshop leader / Natasha Borton / Commission
    Wrexham Pride / Documentary Photography / Wrexham Pride / Commission
    Wrexfest 2024 / Documentary Photography / Wrexfest / Commission
    North Wales Crusaders / Sports Photography / NW Crusaders / Volunteer
    Wrexham Police FC / Sports Photography / Wrexham Police / Volunteer
    The Turf / Event and Promotional Photography / Wayne Jones / Commission
    Wal Goch Football Fans Festival/ Documentary Photography / Russell Todd / Commission
    Crusaders Wheelchair Rugby League / Sports Photography / NW Crusaders / Commission

  • DEG DEG DEG / Documentary Photography / Voicebox / Commission
    Untitled Album / Album Photography / Isabella Crowther / Commission
    SGÔR / Contributing Artist / Dispensary Gallery / Group Show
    Larynx Live 6: Mace the Great / Documentary Photography / Larynx Entertainment / Commission
    Breakin’ Battle, Cypher, Jam / Documentary Photography / Avant Cymru / Commission
    Coast / Documentary Photography / Voicebox / Solo show
    Wrexfest 2023 / Documentary Photography / Wrexfest / Commission
    Gobaith/Hope / Documentary Photography / Outside Lives / Group Show & Event
    The Turf / Documentary photography / Exploritech / Commission
    Memories/ Documentary Photography / Personal Work / Zine
    Graduate Artist in Residence / Documentary Photography / SCA Wrexham University / Residency

  • Wrexfest 2022 / Documentary Photography / Wrexfest / Commission
    Floodlights / Documentary Photography / Personal Work / Zine
    A Proper Ordinary Miracle / Community Artist / National Theatre Wales / Commission
    Oversized / Documentary Photography / Collaboration with Katie Cyfenw / Zine
    Tŷ Cornel / UnDegUn Retrospective / Documentary Photography / Tŷ Cornel / Curator
    Tŷ Cornel Studio Holders Show / Documentary Photography / Tŷ Cornel / Commission
    Dirty Protest + Gwyl Cymru / Documentary Photography / Voicebox / Commission
    Looking Beyond Lockdown / Documentary Photography / National Theatre Wales / Commission
    Unseen Wrexham / Documentary Photography / Wrexham City of Culture 2025 / Solo Show
    Putting Wrexham on the Map / Contributing Artist / Wrexham Museum / Documentary Interviewee

  • Makers Space / Documentary Photography / Tŷ Pawb / Commission
    Heterotopic Encounters / Contributing Artist / UnDegUn / Group Show

  • Of The Earth / Contributing Artist / National Theatre Wales / Commission
    Open Art Surgery / Documentary Photography / Avant Cymru / Commission

  • SCA Final Year Show / Documentary Photography / SCA Wrexham University / Commission
    Dot Dot Dash / Organiser & Documentary Photography / SCA Wrexham University / Commission

  • Parallel Lands / Documentary Photography / SCA Wrexham University / Commission & Group Show
    Miracle of Drawing / Documentary Photography / UnDegUn / Commission

  • SCA Final Year Show / Documentary Photography / SCA Wrexham University / Commission
    Dot Dot Dash / Organiser & Documentary Photography / SCA Wrexham University / Commission
    Moving Minds / Contributing Artist / Oriel Sycarth / Group Show
    Studio Holders Show / Contributing Artist / UnDegUn / Group Show
    Guardians of the Border / Documentary Photography / DataMosh Collective / Commission

  • Parsing Impossibilities: The Art of Sameness / Curation / A5 Collective / Co-curator
    DataMosh / Contributing Artist / DataMosh Collective / Group Show

  • Helfa Gelf 2014 / Contributing Artist / NWSAD / Group Show

  • Helfa Gelf 2013 / Contributing Artist / NWSAD / Group Show