Liz Hingley
Photographer / Anthropologist
I am a socially engaged photographer, curator and anthropologist born and raised in Birmingham, a UK city home to over 180 nationalities. My work explores the systems of belonging and belief that shape cities around the world. I am motivated by working collaboratively and creating connections between disciplines, cultures and audiences. I employ photography as a tool of research and therapy, developing awareness and appreciation. In recent years I have been exploring the healing power of nature in urban settings, especially in creating a sense of identity and place for marginalised communities. My work has reached audiences around the world through publications, workshops and exhibitions, in locations ranging from galleries to gardens, from hospitals to streets. I have held artist in residence positions at University College London and the University of Texas, Austin. I recently worked with the South Asia Institute at SOAS University to co-curate the exhibition and publication A Passage Through Passages (2020). I am also a proud trustee of Amberside photography and film collection, and a curatorial adviser to SIDE Gallery and Cinema in Newcastle. While at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences I produced three photographic and academic books, End Of Lines (2013), Sacred Shanghai (2019) and Shanghai Sacred (2020). These books explore the landscape of the city and the spiritual lives of its 24 million residents. My book, exploring the multi-faith communities of Birmingham, Under Gods: Stories from the Soho Road (2010), became an international touring exhibition. I nurture a keen interest in the relationship between art and science. I am an Honorary Research Fellow at both the departments of Philosophy and Physics at The University of Birmingham, and the co-creator of PHYART, a platform for dialogue between artists and scientists. As a creative advisor to the Multiple Births Foundation I curated the Multiple Realities (2019) exhibition at Birmingham Library and am currently directing the Multiple Connections research project, exploring the experiences of families of multiples through photographic elicitation.
