A PLYMOUTH University student from Bridgwater has had his work showcased at an exhibition inside a prestigious gallery.

Max Pattenden, who studies BA Photography, was selected to display has work for the Photo Portrait Now exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.

The exhibition is a culmination of a year-long high-education partnership programme bringing together Gallery curators, leading contemporary photographers and second-year photography students from five universities across England and Wales.

Max, whose portrait of classmate, Jenna, was the lead picture advertising the exhibition, said: “Having my work displayed in the National Portrait Gallery was a massively inspiring experience, and my image being chosen as the front was really exciting.

“The style of my portraiture for this project was influenced by a sense of melancholy and discomfort, and the bleak, monochrome images reflect this – I found myself utilising wide and open backdrops for the portraits I created to evoke a feeling of being lost or confused.

“I can’t thank the NPG Staff enough for the opportunity, alongside my lecturers at the University for arranging the collaboration and the connections I have made throughout the Photo Portrait Now project.”