Opening this summer at BALTIC in Gateshead, ‘Close to Home’ brings together the work of two photographers whose practices are closely connected to the North East. Running from 4th July 2026 until April 2027, the exhibition forms part of BALTIC’s wider annual programme and explores themes of community, identity and regional experience through documentary and portrait photography.
The exhibition pairs photographs by Tish Murtha with a newly commissioned body of work by Kuba Ryniewicz. Born in South Shields in 1956, Murtha became known for documenting life in Newcastle during the late 1970s and early 1980s. After studying photography, she returned to the city and focused much of her work on communities in areas such as Elswick during a period marked by industrial decline, unemployment and significant social change.
Murtha’s photography was created within the communities she documented and captures everyday life with honesty and directness. Her images focus on people, streets and local environments, offering a detailed record of working-class life in the North East at a time of major economic uncertainty. Four of her best-known series will be displayed together for the first time in the region: ‘Elswick Kids’, ‘Elswick Revisited’, ‘Save Scotswood Works’ and ‘Youth Unemployment’. Collectively, the photographs explore themes including housing conditions, street life, childhood and the effects of declining industry on local communities across Newcastle.
Although Murtha died in 2013, interest in her work has continued to grow in recent years. Her photographs are now held in collections including the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with her daughter, Ella Murtha, who manages the archive and has overseen the continued presentation of her mother’s work.
Alongside Murtha’s photography, Ryniewicz presents a newly commissioned series developed through collaborations with people across the North East. Based in Newcastle, he works primarily in portrait photography across editorial, commercial and fashion contexts. His practice combines commissioned and independent projects, often exploring identity, image-making and representation through carefully constructed portraits.
Installed throughout BALTIC’s Level 3 gallery space, ‘Close to Home’ places the work of both photographers in dialogue with one another. Although created in different decades and under very different circumstances, the exhibition reveals shared themes of place, community and lived experience, offering a layered portrait of the North East and the people who shape it.
For further information, head to Baltic.art.
