Winter Folklore Exhibition Brings Warmth to Solihull Gallery

Over 21 artists from the UK, Denmark and Ukraine present embroidery, paintings and digital collages celebrating winter, real life and folklore in Solihull.

A winter-themed folklore exhibition opens in Solihull next month, inviting visitors to experience warmth and storytelling through art. The free show brings together 21 artists from the United Kingdom, Denmark and Ukraine, showcasing embroidery, paintings and collages.

The display is hosted at The Core's Courtyard Gallery in Solihull and offers a blend of traditional craft with contemporary imagination that speaks to the season.

Tanya Farrugia Two houses with snow on or around them are depicted in this painting. Trees in the foreground are also covered in snow with a shaft of sunlight hitting the side of one taller house.

Winter Folk features works in embroidery, painting and digital collage by 21 artists from the UK, Denmark and Ukraine. The show blends real-life scenes with folkloric figures to celebrate warmth in winter.

Odette Campell, one of the artists, created abstract embroidery inspired by winter sun reflecting on Birmingham’s buildings, reminding us that the season can glow as well as gloom.

Ruth Millington, curator at the Courtyard Gallery at The Core, hopes visitors will sense a touch of seasonal magic and see how folklore can illuminate everyday life.

Janice Rider's Indistinct Vision: a large close-up portrait of an older woman in a hat

Painter Maya Davis-Stokes drew on family photographs to tell the story of her parents meeting in Copenhagen, amid memories of Hans Christian Andersen. She explains she wanted to capture the warmth they found in winter and how a family bond grew during cold months.

Milly Jackson presents three digital collages featuring folkloric heroines and themes of warmth and renewal. She says she has inherited a love of folk art, inspired by a mother who stitched hundreds of embroidered samplers with naïve charm and a warm, human touch.

In addition to the works, the exhibit highlights the charm of folk-art aesthetics—bold silhouettes, simplified perspectives and decorative storytelling—as a reminder that art can feel welcoming even in winter.

The free exhibition opens on 12 December and runs through 10 January. Millington notes that bringing together many artists demonstrates the power of collaboration and creates a warm gallery environment for visitors during the cold season.

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Expert comment

Art critics say the show blends traditional crafts with folklore to create a comforting winter experience and strengthens community ties.

Millington adds that such collaborations prove the gallery can feel like a welcoming space through collective effort.

Summary

The Winter Folk exhibition in Solihull brings together artists from three countries to explore warmth, renewal and storytelling in winter. Through embroidery, paintings and digital collages, the show invites visitors to find wonder in everyday scenes. The free display runs from 12 December to 10 January, offering a cozy, creative break from the season.