Three members of St Cross College, Professor Kevin Marsh, Professor Steve Strand and Professor Shadreck Chirikure, are among the Oxford researchers featured in Catalysts, a new portrait series commissioned by the Bodleian Libraries in partnership with the British Journal of Photography.
Created by photographers Alys Tomlinson, Francis Augusto and Leia Morrison, the commission adds 19 contemporary photographic portraits to the Bodleian’s permanent collections, contributing to a broader and more representative visual record of Oxford’s research community. In particular, the series recognises individuals and groups across the University whose work is having a significant impact on health, society and the environment.
Professor Steve Strand, whose portrait was taken by Francis Augusto, chose to be photographed in his office – the place where, as he explains, “the best ideas come from”.
The inspirational individuals and groups featured in these portraits are catalysts in the truest sense - their achievements have propelled advances across culture, science, and education, shaping both the academic community and wider world.
Richard Ovenden, Bodley's Librarian
The project followed an open call to members of the British Journal of Photography, which paired the commissioned photographers – working across portraiture, social documentary and fine art – with researchers from across the University to create a contemporary record of Oxford and the people behind its research.
The portraits are now on display in the ground floor corridor just inside the readers’ entrance of the Weston Library.
