Award-winning Derbyshire photographer Kate Bellis's exhibition transfers to London gallery

A Derbyshire artist will share a fascinating story of a hill with visitors to a London gallery where there will be unique opportunity to help build a drystone wall.
Emma Allsop next to her portrait and Mary Wain's portrait in The Hill exhibition at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Both strong independent farming women who farmed at the same farm but two generations apart. Photo courtesy of Kate BellisEmma Allsop next to her portrait and Mary Wain's portrait in The Hill exhibition at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Both strong independent farming women who farmed at the same farm but two generations apart. Photo courtesy of Kate Bellis
Emma Allsop next to her portrait and Mary Wain's portrait in The Hill exhibition at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Both strong independent farming women who farmed at the same farm but two generations apart. Photo courtesy of Kate Bellis

Award-winning photographer Kate Bellis has spent the last 20 years documenting the relationships between rural communities and the land around them.

Kate’s images capture the working life of the Derbyshire hill – farming and quarrying – as well as images of the community that live in the shelter of the hill.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The exhibition, which is entitled The Hill, will be at the Copeland Gallery in Peckham from Thursday, February 21, to Sunday, March 3.

Alongside Kate’s photographs, the exhibition will house a full-sized Friesian dairy cow - made from the Hill itself, using Longcliffe Limestone - by acclaimed sculptor Sally Matthews.

There will also be a 20ft Derbyshire Longcliffe limestone qall, built by a local Derbyshire quarry man and farmer Nick Wilson and his partner Emma Alsop, a shepherd, whose portraits are also at the exhibition.

The wall will be partially finished by the launch and during the exhibition members of the public will be given a unique opportunity to help create it. It is hoped this will be a wall to bring a strongrural community and an equally strong urban community together.