I spent yesterday afternoon at Kirkby Gallery, where Jeff Young and Mike Badger are showing a remarkable collection of work. Their exhibition, The Sacred Memory Bank, brings together collage, handwritten fragments, and carefully chosen everyday objects to create a kind of shared autobiography.
Walking through the space feels a bit like being invited into someone’s private archive. Each piece is a small world of its own — a memory sealed inside a tin, a jar, a box — offering just enough detail to spark your imagination. These little assemblages capture moments, emotions, and half-forgotten stories using only the simplest of items.
There’s a quiet beauty to it all. A shell from an old holiday suddenly becomes a doorway into another time. Ordinary objects take on a new weight and meaning. The whole exhibition has this gentle, otherworldly atmosphere that’s hard to shake off.
If you’re thinking of going, you’ll need to be quick — it’s only open today and tomorrow. I was lucky enough to bump into Jeff while I was there, too. His books Wild Twin and Ghost Town are fantastic, and to see him again in person was a real highlight.
To find out more check out the website.
