Ben Sadler: You and I

Two series of small, colourful paintings by Birmingham (UK) based artist Ben Sadler, inspired by a curious cast of imaginary visitors to an imaginary exhibition. Featuring a foreword by Deborah Kermode, a text by Catherine O’Flynn and an interview by Ceri Hand. Ben Sadler’s colourful paintings of imaginary people are full of personality, eclectic states of mind and varying degrees of intrigue. These are consistently charming, sometimes amusing and occasionally heart-breaking portraits of ordinary and extraordinary people. The publication features two bodies of work: You and I (2024) and Exclamations! (2023), both of which present small paintings corresponding to each letter of the alphabet (though the letters U and I are curiously missing from the series You and I). Sadler’s starting point was the idea of visitors to an imaginary exhibition – who are they, what kinds of people are they, and what thoughts might be going through their minds? Such musings are explored in celebrated Birmingham-based author Catherine O’Flynn’s text – a piece of creative writing commissioned especially for the publication, along with a foreword by Deborah Kermode, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, and an interview by London-based creative coach, podcaster and public speaker Ceri Hand. Born in Birmingham (UK) in 1977, where he lives and works today, Ben Sadler studied at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford, and the Royal College of Art, London. He is one half of the artist duo Juneau Projects, alongside Philip Duckworth.