Dean Chalkley (B.1968, Essex, England, UK) has been producing compelling visual imagery at the intersection of music, fashion and culture for the past three decades.
For this new exhibition, Oriel Colwyn’s curator Paul Sampson has been digging through Dean’s personal archive work to create a show that celebrates a selection of his unique past projects, musical portraits and ongoing work.
EXHIBITION OPENING NEWS
The exhibition opens in the afternoon on Saturday 21st March with a special musical viewing party – We’ve persuaded Dean to bring along a selection of his vinyl gems, to provide the vibes for the afternoon (yes, he DJ’s as well!) ALL ARE WELCOME, no tickets required, just pop along between 2pm-6pm to view the exhibition, meet Dean and enjoy the tunes!
Following the opening, Dean will then speak about his work and career at a special Talk Photo event in the gallery at 7pm (as this will be a seated event, tickets will be required as there are limited spaces available – If you’re quick, you can secure your place HERE where tickets are either FREE or donation based – pay what you can)
Since picking up a camera for Dazed & Confused in the mid 90s, Dean Chalkley's trademark positivity and creative energy has seen him become one of the UK’s leading documentarians of British subculture, an eminent portrait photographer and revered music photographer responsible for some of the most notable music imagery of the 21st century.
Dean’s work carries with it authenticity and integrity, making it the perfect conduit for brands to communicate with their audiences. He has worked with a raft of fashion brands such as Levis, Adidas and Ray Ban and outside the fashion context campaigns with Virgin, Sony Music and Universal Pictures to name but a few.
Contributing to editorial publications including The Observer Magazine, Vanity Fair, Sunday Times Magazine and a two-decade relationship with the NME highlights his willingness to engage with emerging talents as well as established subjects. Genuine interest in his subjects and how they sit as part of our cultural tapestry informs his work and produces highly stimulating imagery.
His extensive archive spans photography, film and mixed-media with each image connected by his deep commitment to the idea of personal style as a form of cultural resistance.
Originally trained as a tailor, Dean’s love of sartorial style has inspired some of his most notable projects. Return of the Rudeboy, an immersive exhibition at Somerset House, brought an important and rarely documented subculture onto the main stage of one of London’s major institutions.
Return of the Rudeboy (c) Dean Chalkley
Conceived and organised in collaboration with creative director Harris Elliott, the six-room exhibition explored the style, swagger, and significance of the 21st-century Rudeboy. Dean’s portraits presented a global picture of the impeccable style, confidence, and independence at the heart of the movement.
Return of the Rudeboy (c) Dean Chalkley
Compelled by a deep love for music and its potential for self-expression, Dean’s portraits range from underground pioneers to pop stars. He continues to build a definitive archive of great artists whose hope, energy, and theatre, transport us beyond the here and now.
Daft Punk (c) Dean Chalkley
As a filmmaker, Dean explores individuals and communities on the fringes of British culture. The New Faces captured the style, music, and perspectives of the contemporary Mod scene.
The New Faces (c) Dean Chalkley
This was soon followed by Young Souls, which introduced a new generation of dedicated Northern Soul fans united in mesmerising dance moves.
Young Souls (c) Dean Chalkley
In September 2023, Wigan marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of Wigan Casino with a programme of events and activities exploring what this iconic club meant to people then, as well as the lasting impact it continues to have today. Dean was invited by Wigan Council’s Culture, Arts & Heritage Department to contribute his Young Souls photographic project to an exhibition titled 50 Years On: The Soul Stays Strong. He agreed and also proposed creating two new, unique elements to be made especially for the show.
Good For The Soul, the first new element is a dynamic short film focusing on a solo Northern Soul dancer expressing himself to rare soul music. The film is fast cut and pacy with expert dance moves by Durassie Kiangangu, soundtracked with an obscure Northern Soul track - True True Love by Tobi Lark
Young Souls 2023, the second new element, a new photographic series presenting 23 young people from today’s soul generation who are actively part of the scene. Dean invited the young soulies to the old Woolworth’s building on Standishgate, Wigan, where a photographic session was held just weeks before the exhibition opened—at the very same location.
Young Souls (c) Dean Chalkley
Young Souls 2023 followed the aesthetic of the original 2011 project, but the subjects in this new series bring the viewer right up to date, highlighting how the scene continues to flourish.
In 2022, Dean presented a large ambitious experimental project titled New Perspectives. This hybrid creative concept brought together six invited musicians who had never previously worked as a group. Over the course of two days, the collective wrote and recorded a unique piece of music without any prior planning.
The project reflects Dean's expansive conceptual thinking as well as his skills as a photographer and short film director. It introduced a new, situationist dimension to his practice, creating a framework in which others could generate and perform.
The resulting body of work includes photography and film documenting the process, alongside a 12" vinyl single of the track So Pure, recorded by the collective, who through the process ended up calling themselves Phono 48.
A mixed media exhibition of large photographic prints, the short film and other projections was staged at the Museum of Youth Culture on Shaftesbury Avenue, London, subsequently the short film was released online and the music made available across streaming platforms.
In 2025, Dean Chalkley marked a significant milestone with the release of Back in Ibiza 1998–2003, published internationally by ACC Art Books. This landmark volume brings together a carefully curated selection from Chalkley’s extensive archive, created while documenting Ibiza at the turn of the century.
Signed copies of the book will be available at Oriel Colwyn in very limited numbers.
The book also includes contributions from notable figures connected to that scene. Through its pages, Chalkley captures the hedonistic atmosphere and heightened states of joy that defined the island’s spirit, conveying both intensity and intimacy.
From the cavernous interiors of Amnesia to the sunlit terraces of Café del Mar, Chalkley captures the interplay between the ecstatic and the mundane, painting a portrait of Ibiza that is as much about its people as it is about the place itself. The photobook grips the viewer, plunging them into the heart and heat of sun-kissed landscapes, neon-lit dancefloors, and carefree days.
Back in Ibiza (c) Dean Chalkley
Coinciding with the publication, select works from Back in Ibiza 1998–2003 were exhibited at The Century Club and The Social in London and the BACKINIBIZA.com micro-website launched further extending the dialogue between the images, the culture they reflect, and the audiences they continue to inspire.
Dean’s work crosses boundaries and is a rich celebration of culture, this exhibition gives you a glimpse into his incredible work.
Website: www.deanchalkley.com