Artist feature with photographer Thomas Oscar Miles 'Our Beautiful Demise'

Thomas Oscar Miles is a fine art photographer, based in the West Midlands, UK. He began photography in 2013, later studying at Stafford College on a BTEC Level 3 Diploma and a HNC Level 4 Diploma. He has since been in multiple magazine publications, both online and physical, featured in numerous exhibiting opportunities, the latest being a cash prize and exhibiting opportunity in Wentworth Woodhouse, partnered with ArtWorks Together. As well as working with a creative team to work on commissioned portraits. His work has since acclaimed awards such as the ‘Shropshire Rotary club’s young photographer of the year’, and as a finalist in the ‘Pride of Shropshire, Learner award.’ His work is inspired by ideologies of embracing personal vulnerabilities to find self-empowerment, conjured up through dark and intimate art. Series such as 'Our Beautiful Demise' 'Encyclopaedia of Self 'and 'Fathering Fawn' will be released by the artist this year. ‘Our Beautiful Demise’ speaks about personal fears, and the demise of what we are usually so comfortable with. Throughout the collection, we see a gradual breaking down of what held each character together, through imagery to represent the demise of self, perfection, normality, identity, control, consistency, position, comfort, memory, pain, past and fear. This collection has been a two + year exploration of self- quietly getting to know my worst nightmares like aged skeletons in my closet. It was through inviting them into my everyday, that I could allow these individual parts to weave together the delicate threads of my life that felt frayed and entangled, conjuring up a tapestry titled ‘Our Beautiful Demise.’ At a time where I had to pave a new direction in my artistic journey, this collection of 12 came as an opportunity to help conquer personal fears; to relieve myself from their weight over the everyday: closure. Massive thanks to Tom for sharing their work with us. We first come across Tom’s work when they submitted for our exhibition ‘Pause for Thought’. Congratulations on your recent solo exhibition at The Globe at Hay, it looked incredible!