Stroud Folk - Solo Exhibition by Rachel Oldfield
Saturday 4 July to Sunday 26 July 2026
Stroud Folk is a collection of twenty-one, narrative Risograph prints celebrating the people, memories and everyday joys that shape a community.
Over the past year, illustrator Rachel Oldfield has invited local people from across Stroud to take part in a simple conversation. She asked each participant three questions:
What has meaning for you? What do you love? What brings you joy?
The answers were as varied as the people themselves. Some spoke of family traditions, treasured objects and beloved places. Others shared memories, hobbies, rituals and small moments that make their lives feel rich and worthwhile.
Drawing from these conversations in her signature, fluid-drawing style, Rachel created a unique, single-image narrative for each participant. Each print weaves together fragments of their story, combining people, objects, places and symbols into a visual celebration of what matters most to them. The resulting works act as personal reminders of joy, connection, memory and meaning.
Printed using the vibrant and distinctive Risograph process*, the exhibition brings together twenty-one individual stories while creating a collective portrait of Stroud itself. Together, these images reveal the remarkable richness that exists within this community: the passions, relationships, experiences and values that connect us and make us who we are.
Stroud Folk offers an opportunity to pause and reflect on the significances of everyday life. It reminds us that meaning is often found in familiar places, cherished memories, shared experiences and the people around us.
Through these twenty-one narrative portraits, Rachel Oldfield celebrates not only the individuals who took part, but also the spirit of a community built from many unique and interconnected lives.
*Risograph: A Risograph - or ‘Riso’ - is a high-speed digital printer developed in Japan in the 1980s by the Riso Kagaku Corporation. It is favoured by many artists and illustrators for producing vibrantly coloured prints with rich, matte textures, and an almost ‘handprinted’ quality.
