Reuben Colley (born 1976) is a British representational painter primarily recognised for his "gritty" city-scapes and parkland scenes depicting his home town of Birmingham, England. 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 Handsworth Grammar School for Boys then 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.
Through his work he has supported charitable causes including Freedom from Torture and Birmingham Children's Hospital.
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.
Colley has said: "I don't paint a particular subject, I try to depict an atmosphere". He's explained his process, saying:
Awards
2002 Best Up and Coming Published Artist. Fine Art Trade Guild 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 2002 Streetlife. ICC, Birmingham 2002 Impressions of London, Harrods, London 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 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 2010 City of Culture Exhibition in conjunction with Birmingham City Council. RCFA, Birmingham 2011 Reuben Colley Exhibition. Hay Hill Gallery. Cork Street, Mayfair 2012 My Birmingham. RCFA, Birmingham 2013 City Living. RCFA, Birmingham 2015 Change In the Inner City, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 2016 City Living Collection II. RCFA, Birmingham 2017 Remnant (Preview). Bridge Gallery, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 2017 Remnant. RCFA, Birmingham 2018 Group Exhibition. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 2022 Skatepark, RCFA, Birmingham 2023 Birmingham Life, RCFA, Birmingham
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 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.
References
External links
Birmingham Living Magazine feature (2013)