Offsite9 - Tegen Kimbley: Wolverhampton Outdoor Market

Tegen Kimbley was part of a group project curated by Hannah Taylor which saw 4 photographers take very different approaches to exploring how we navigate the reparative histories of our region when we document culture.

The images above include the full set of portraits taken at the city’s Markets earlier in the year and aims to celebrate Wolverhampton and the everyday working people that make up the city.

“Growing up in a small village on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, a trip into the city at the weekend with my family was something I would look forward to. Bursting with life and colour, the Wolverhampton Indoor Retail Market and Outdoor Market, which were located next to one another, were real gems in the city, and places I loved to explore.

Sadly, as retail chains became more common, the Indoor Retail Market became less popular, leading to its inevitable demolition in 2016. The Outdoor Market remained in Wolverhampton, but eventually was downscaled and relocated to Cleveland Street in 2018, where its legacy lives on.”

To find out more about Tegen follow Instagram.com/tegenkimbley where you will find more photographs as well as interviews with the people of the market.

This work has been commissioned by Creative Black Country for Offsite 9, funded by Arts Council England with support from Paycare.

Images courtesy of Tegen Kimbley