@HESIDurham commissioned me to produce 4-6 images conveying the core themes of their work and featuring three senior academics in the centre: Professor Vikki Boliver, Dr Sol Gamsu and Dr Jason Arday. The artworks play with the idea of formal corporate portraits, frequently displayed in university Board Rooms, the subjects of which are predominantly White and male and often contain symbolic artefacts or scenes, related to the individual’s specialism or character. I liked the idea of using this format symbolic of privilege and elitism in the academy in the context of HESI, which explicitly challenges such values. I asked Vikki, Sol and Jason to tell me something about their academic work, values, inspirations and most significant books. These are incoporated into the other feature of each ‘portrait’, a unique, more modern and minimalist take on the traditional colliery banner.