Julia Perry was a friend of [cloud]. After having been taught by Co-Director, Dr Gemma Marmalade and her colleagues in Photography at the University of Derby, UK, between 2020-2023 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Julia developed a deeply meditative and informed practice that reflected the local architectural environment. On graduation, her work received the attention of the FORMAT International Photography Festival curatorial team, including Peter Bonnell, Niamh Treacy-Wynne, and Jodi Kwok. She was given a Graduate Award and the mentorship of her career trajectory under their guidance.

With deepest sadness to her family, partner, friends, peers, and all who knew her, Julia passed away, aged just twenty five, unexpectedly in late June 2025.

[cloud] recognises Julia’s wonderful work, creative potential, and friendship to all at [cloud]. For this reason, we celebrate her most recent work, ‘Concrete – In Memoriam’:

‘Concrete – In Memoriam’ (2023)

The Derby Assembly Rooms was designated for demolition in March 2015 by Derby City Council. The local press stated the council conceded that the building would never reopen and plans for its removal and replacement was in place. Designed by the famous architects Hugh Casson and Neville Conder and built in 1977, it is a rare example of Brutalist architecture for an event space in the UK post-war. Concrete: In Memoriam is a body of photographic and sculptural work that in 2023, considers the demise of important examples of British architectural design and visual uniqueness quintessential to local, national, and international heritage. Through making photographs of the building’s details, textures, patterns, and geometries, they are printed upon handmade concrete slabs. This presents a visceral render of material preservation and a gestural memorial of its aesthetics soon to be no more.