Adrian Riley (b. Leeds, 1971) is a British

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

and

graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...

based in

Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough () is a seaside town and civil parish in North Yorkshire District, the district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. With a population of 61,749, Scarborough is the largest town on the Yorkshire Coast and the No ...

. Riley has created permanent artworks for the public realm across the UK, including work for The

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...

, and local authorities and arts organisations. Primarily working with words, particularly with local residents as co-creators, Riley has also collaborated with writers and poets, including

Simon Armitage Simon Robert Armitage (born 26 May 1963) is an English poet, playwright, musician and novelist. He was appointed Poet Laureate on 10 May 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds. He has published over 20 collections of poetr ...

, Ian Duhig, John W. Clarke and Charlotte Oliver, and with artists including Rachel Welford, Annabel McCourt and British comic book artist John Cooper.

Early life and education

Riley was born in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

, West Yorkshire in 1971 and grew up in

Pudsey Pudsey is a market town in the City of Leeds borough in West Yorkshire, England. It is located midway between Bradford city centre and Leeds city centre. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it has a population of 25,393. History T ...

close to the border with

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

. He attended Pudsey Grangefield School and then studied graphic design at Leeds Arts University graduating in 1990.

Career

Riley worked as a designer at Bradford College and

Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univer ...

before forming the multidisciplinary design studio ''Electric Angel Design'' in Bradford in 2000. In Bradford he was part of the Atom Studios collective based in a former woollen mill Bradford city centre. He worked on several projects with Artworks Creative Communities including his first

public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...

- the design of metal gates in West Bowling co-created with the community and commissioned by English Heritage. In 2003, Riley relocated his studio to Scarborough where he co-founded the practitioners network ''Creative Coast'' with local arts organisation ''Create''. In 2008 he co-presented the town's winning bid for the accolade of 'UK Enterprise Capital', Scarborough went on to win the European Enterprise Awards the same year as the UK's entry with Scarborough's submission packs designed by Electric Angel. As a result Riley was invited to represent Scarborough meeting then Prime Minister

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...

Downing Street Downing Street is a gated street in City of Westminster, Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In a cul-de-sac situated off Whiteh ...

. In 2005, Electric Angel Design recreated the logo for

The Boys' Brigade The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international interdenominational Christianity, Christian youth organisation, conceived by the Scottish businessman William Alexander Smith (Boys' Brigade), Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun acti ...

. In 2022, Riley contributed to BBC Radio 4 Today programme series 'Britain's Favourite Beach' with a response that looked at history through Scarborough;s illuminated seafront signage.

Public artworks

Riley's work in the public realm includes the following: * ''Words in the Landscape'' (Sutton Bank,

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

) *: A series of artworks on a circular route at

Sutton Bank Sutton Bank is a hill in the former Hambleton District of the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire in England. It is a high point on the Hambleton Hills with extensive views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray. The A1 ...

, commissioned in 2024 by The

North York Moors The North York Moors is an upland area in north-eastern Yorkshire, England. It contains one of the largest expanses of Calluna, heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The area was designated as a national parks of England and Wales, National P ...

National Park. The work consists of four new artworks including poems by

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poetry, Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romanticism, Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Balla ...

, Ian Duhig and Charlotte Oliver, and encourages visitors to explore the landscape from the perspective of birds. * ''Balancing Act'' (Brimham Rocks,

) *: Collaboration with the Poet Laureate,

, and stone carver Richard Dawson at The National Trust Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of Brimham Rocks. Commissioned in 2023 by

The National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

. * ''Signs of the Times'' (

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

) *: Six illuminated text artworks and accompanying audio created from local residents stories and memories marking favourite but uncelebrated town centre locations. Commissioned by Scarborough-based arts organisation ARCADE with Scarborough Town Team in 2023. * ''The Migrating Zoetrope'' ( Hull) *: long artwork combining semi-abstract imagery and minimalist poetry inspired by bird migration and sloops of the

Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Trent, Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms ...

. Collaboration with artist Annabel McCourt. Commissioned in 2022 by the

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

. * ''Come Follow Me'' (

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...

) *: A long text artwork etched into stone paving weaving together origin myths, residents stories, found text from industrial heritage, poetry and a hopscotch of dates. Part of a £1.8 Million development of St James Square in front of Grimsby Minster. Commissioned by North East Lincolnshire Council. * ''Walls Have Ears'' (

Dewsbury Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder, West Yorkshire, River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, ...

) *: Commissioned by

Kirklees Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. The borough comprises the ten towns of Batley, Birstall, West Yorkshire, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite. It ...

District Council to create a series of seven large metal wall panels exploring the hopes and dreams of the local community, from young children to retirees. The panels use lettering inspired by the architecture of the town. * ''Priory Park Pillars'' (

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

) *: Commissioned to design and manufacture artworks for a new sculpture park celebrating the history of

Lenton Priory Lenton Priory was a Cluniac monastic house in Nottinghamshire, founded by William Peverel ''circa 1102-8''. The priory was granted a large endowment of property in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire by its founder, which became the cause of violent d ...

. The five 'Priory Park Pillars' were the result of historical research and workshops with local students. Each feature a medieval inspired pattern and explanatory text telling an aspect of the site's history. * ''Birdsong'' (

Bempton, East Yorkshire) *: The result of working with the

to create permanent artworks across the site and the visitor centre introducing visitors to the calls and song of the birdlife at Bempton Cliffs. * ''Reckoning of Time'' (St. Peter's Church,

Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear in England. Monkwearmouth is located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth ...

) *: A series of 12 windows, in collaboration with Rachel Welford, referring to The Venerable Bede who lived at the twin monasteries of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow, based on historical research. Manufacturing took place at the

National Glass Centre The National Glass Centre is a cultural venue and visitor attraction located in Sunderland, North East England. It is part of the University of Sunderland. Background The National Glass Centre is located in Sunderland, on the north banks ...

, located across from the church. * ''Tidal Word Wave & Water Line'' (

Bridlington Bridlington (previously known as Burlington) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is on the Holderness part (Flamborough Head to the Humber estuary) of the Yorkshire Coast by the North Sea. The town is ...

, East Yorkshire) *: Collaboration with Rachel Welford to produce two large-scale site-specific typographic artworks on

Promenade based on found text and statistical tide data. The artworks form a series of panels fixed to an existing building, and a

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

in front new-build structures as part of a £40m development. * ''Song Tunnel'' (

Leeds City Centre Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is roughly bounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road to the north and the River Aire to the south and can be divided into several quarters. A ...

) *: A public artwork in the pedestrian underpass linking car parking to the new Leeds Arena music venue. The artwork features 60 unique typographic panels using song titles from bands and artists associated with the city including

Scritti Politti Scritti Politti are a British band formed in 1977 in Leeds by singer-songwriter Green Gartside, who is the sole remaining member of the original band. Initially formed as a punk culture, punk-aligned underground act influenced by leftist poli ...

and Tony Christie.

Gallery

File:Balancing Act detail - Simon Armitage and Adrian Riley.jpg, alt=Detail of the artwork 'Balancing Act' by Simon Armitage with Adrian RIley at Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire, 'Balancing Act' by Simon Armitage with Adrian Riley at Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire (detail). File:St Peters Chapterhouse - Rachel Welford and Adrian Riley.jpg, alt=A detail of St Peters Chapterhouse stained glass windows by Rachel Welford and Adrian Riley, St Peters Chapterhouse stained glass windows by Rachel Welford and Adrian Riley (detail) File:Come_follow_me_-_Adrian_RIley.jpg, alt=Photograph of 'Come Follow Me' by Adrian Riley at Grimsby Minster, 'Come Follow Me' by Adrian Riley at Grimsby Minster File:Phonetic birdsong panels by Adrian Riley at RSPB Bempton.jpg, alt=Photograph of phonetic birdsong panels by artist Adrian Riley at RSPB Bempton, Phonetic birdsong panels by Adrian Riley at RSPB Bempton File:Tidal Wordwave - Riley-Welford.jpg, alt=Photograph of 'Tidal Wordwave' glass artwork in Bridlington by Adrian Riley and Rachel Welford, Tidal Wordwave artwork by Adrian Riley and Rachel Welford

Awards

* 2013: Leeds Architecture Award - commended * 2016: Northern Design Awards for St. Peter's,

- winner

References

External links

Adrian Riley / Electric Angel Design
Portfolio of work
Adrian RIley : Art UK
Adrian Riley on ArtUK database of publicly owned art in UK
Scarborough-Whitby Old Railway Line Art Project
Website documenting the research and creation of public artwork on the National Cycle Network {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Adrian British artists British graphic designers Living people 1971 births 20th-century births Artists from Leeds Alumni of Leeds Arts University People from Pudsey