From a Wolverhampton Shed to the Heart of Digbeth: The full Seventh Circle story.

What started in a humble shed in Wolverhampton has grown into a vibrant new space in Birmingham’s creative district, Digbeth. Since late 2019, Chez and I have been on a mission: to create a space where art feels accessible, inspiring, and unapologetically unpretentious. And now, that mission has a new home, a repurposed spring factory in the heart of Digbeth’s art scene, Seventh Circle opens its doors at the end of October 2025. And as we start this new chapter, what better time than to rewind and tell you how we got here.

What’s Behind the Name?

Many of you ask. To me, Seventh Circle is a space where people can experience incredible artwork by local artists in a warm, inclusive environment. But the name itself? That’s Chez’s flavour. He wanted something that nodded to his Black Country roots and had literary bite. Inspired by Dante’s Inferno, he chose the Seventh Circle of Hell, the circle of violence. For him, it echoed the gritty, gnarly music scene of Wolverhampton and the Black Country: the birthplace of heavy metal, the place he grew up, and the soundtrack to his youth. We’re talking bands that didn’t just make noise, they made history. That same raw energy, that refusal to be palatable, that’s what Chez wanted to channel. It’s a name that carries weight, rebellion, and edge. And honestly? It slaps. But naming it was just the beginning.

In the Beginning, There Was Chez

Chez didn’t start with a gallery. He started with a dream and a series of setbacks. In 2019, he was leading a team of art installers, travelling nationwide to hang works from the likes of Warhol, Miró, Chagall and Hambleton. But he wanted something of his own. So he made the decision to go it solo and began renting studio spaces around Wolverhampton to build Seventh Circle, a place to frame, create, and carve out a future.

The spaces were… character-building! Which is a polite way of saying they were freezing, leaking, with landlords who made Houdini look reachable. Then came one that felt like a breakthrough: a large, beautiful studio where he could create a vast workshop space, host clients, and even set up a small gallery. Interior designers were booking big projects. Local artists were getting involved. It was starting to take shape and feel real.

And then Covid hit. Commissions were cancelled, projects dropped, and lockdowns left Chez paying rent for a space no one could visit. It was a tough blow, but he didn’t give up on the dream, he simply built a new one.

He made a practical decision: scale down, strip back, and build something sustainable. In summer 2021, he constructed a workshop at the bottom of the garden, just big enough to house the essentials for framing. It became the beating heart of Seventh Circle’s early years. Two little doors at the end of the path glowing in the night, late hours fuelled by tea, red wine, and the occasional eight-legged intruder. It was small, scrappy, and full of purpose. There was no artwork on show, just the quiet hum of machinery. That shed became a symbol of resilience that still defines the brand today.

The Moment We Said “Screw It, Let’s Go!”

By the end of 2021, he was stretched thin. The workload for one person was relentless: framing, installation, furniture-making, murals, illustration, graphic design. This man is multifaceted, but even he has limits. After catching Covid over Christmas, he hit a wall. I remember saying, “You’ll burn out if you keep going solo.” And that was the lightbulb moment. We looked at each other, tired, determined, probably after a festive port too many and said, “Can we?”…“We totally should!”

There was no safety net. Just two people, a shed full of dreams (literally), and the absolute conviction that we could build something amazing. By January 2022, we were already hunting for gallery spaces.

For me, this came at such a serendipitous time. I was ready. I’d spent my entire professional life working in the arts, starting in institutions and small galleries as a gallery assistant and then gradually making my way to the commercial art sector, doing everything from sales, curation, events, and management. Every role taught me something: about people, about storytelling, about how to hold space for creativity. But I had started to feel less love for it, less alignment. And I had a toolkit built over a long, layered journey that I wanted to use.

This decision was personal. I’ve always wanted a gallery of my own. My late uncle John, a watercolour artist who lived his dream in Swansea of painting and surfing, had always encouraged my creativity and played a huge part in that dream. His passing during the pandemic became the emotional anchor for making Seventh Circle real.

John would have been over the moon. That connection infuses Seventh Circle with heartfelt purpose: a space that actively rejects elitism and embraces warmth, accessibility, and authenticity. No snobbery. No pretence. Just a genuine effort to connect people with art in meaningful ways. “There’s no rewind on life,” he used to say. So we didn’t look back, we built forward, together. A shared dream and the best possible co-conspirator: my partner in life and favourite person, Chez.

Moseley: The Lovely Little Art Shop

We opened our first bricks-and-mortar gallery in Moseley Village in late March 2022. The first piece we sold, an abstract by a local artist, was snapped up within hours. That burst of joy and telling the artist was a clear reminder of why we do what we do.

Over the following year, the gallery blossomed into a vibrant, joyful space, displaying and selling artwork by local artists, hosting events, and becoming affectionately known as “the lovely little art shop with the stunning blue walls” by locals. It was a place of connection, celebration, and community. But as the cost-of-living crisis deepened and the realities of running a small business sharpened, we had to make a difficult, pragmatic decision. To protect what mattered most, we chose to consolidate: bringing the framing workshop and gallery together under one roof.

The framing workshop, which had started in the basement of the gallery, had already moved to a larger unit by January 2023 due to growing demand. In February 2024, we announced the change. By March 2024, we reopened with a new setup, It gave Seventh Circle a whole new rhythm, a new identity we embraced. Business at the back: framing, precision, and craft. Vibes at the front: a small, welcoming gallery space full of warmth and colour

This setup was fine for a time, but we wanted more, for ourselves, our artists, and our community.

The Leap to Digbeth

Again, we sat down over the Christmas break and spoke about what we dreamed for Seventh Circle and the artists we worked with for the coming year. It became clear that we had outgrown our space in Moseley. In early 2025, we began searching for a new space. We found a large, industrial unit in Digbeth, full of potential. It was huge, like, ‘are we mad?’ huge, but we saw what it could become. We went for it.

By March, we announced the move. And for the next five months, we built: a new gallery, a new framing workshop, a dedicated exhibition space, artist studios, and a home for workshops, events, and a community-led calendar.

What now?

2025 has been our toughest year yet. It stretched us. It tested us, with the move, the build, the pressure, the unknowns. But the most notable difference in this latest chapter has been the loss of Chez’s dad, Alan.

We collected the keys to Bowyer Street only two weeks after his passing, and the absence of Alan has been immense. Over the years, he’s been integral to Seventh Circle’s evolution, first up the ladder, first on his knees painting skirting boards. He’s been Chez’s apprentice framer, his trusty sidekick on installations, and everything in between. Always on hand with the knowledge, the enthusiasm, and the side-splitting one-liners. If you’d known him, you’d know: he would have been very much part of this build too. We miss him very much.

This year has also clarified everything. What matters. Who shows up. Why we do this.

Seventh Circle isn't simply a gallery now; it’s a full-blown creative ecosystem, built on resilience, red wine, and radical love for art. Over the years, we’ve met all kinds of people, seasoned collectors, curious newcomers, and everyone in between. But the most unexpected joy? Watching someone walk in unsure, maybe even feeling out of place, and leaving with a smile, saying they’ll be back. That’s the magic.

And to the artists we’ve met along the way, you’ve become the backbone of Seventh Circle. Your work, your energy, your trust. You’ve shaped this space more than you know. We’ve learned so much from you, not just about art, but about what it means to build something together. Seventh Circle is what it is because of you.

This journey has also taught us something deeper: community isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the whole point. It’s the reason we keep going. It’s the reason this space exists.

While Moseley was the perfect springboard, our aspiration is clear and unchanged: for visitors to walk through the doors and feel something, curiosity, connection, and that pure magic.

Join us this October to experience our space where creativity, community, and true grit collide. We can’t wait to welcome you into the new Seventh Circle.

Thank you as always

Marie and Chez.

Written by Marie Hutton - Co-Director - Seventh Circle