From Didsbury to sunset - Vinay Jalla’s Hulme view lights up Heritage Open Days

Manchester has many ways of telling its story. Sometimes, all it takes is a sunset.

I’m delighted to share that my latest artwork, Sunset over Hulme, is being exhibited as part of the Heritage Open Days Exhibition at the much-loved Didsbury Parsonage in South Manchester.

There is something rather special about seeing a photograph of Hulme displayed in one of Didsbury’s most historic buildings. It is, quite literally, a meeting of old and new Manchester.

Sunset over Hulme is a photograph capturing a mosque in Hulme as it is illuminated by the warm glow of the setting sun. It was one of those moments that made me stop and look. The architecture itself caught my eye, but what stayed with me was the way the evening light transformed an everyday Manchester scene into something quietly beautiful.

For me, the photograph is about much more than a building. It is about Manchester changing, growing and continually rewriting its own story.

Manchester's heritage isn't confined to grand Victorian buildings, mills, canals and industrial landmarks. It also lives in our streets, neighbourhoods, places of worship, communities, food, languages, memories and everyday experiences. And that is what makes Sunset over Hulme particularly meaningful to me.

There is an interesting connection between the photograph and its exhibition setting.

The Didsbury Parsonage is a Grade II listed building beside the original village green. The building and gardens were left to the citizens of Manchester by Alderman Fletcher Moss in 1919, and today the Didsbury Parsonage Trust continues to preserve the building while providing a community hub for Didsbury and beyond.

The Parsonage also provides exhibition space for changing displays of artwork.

So, in a small way, Sunset over Hulme brings two parts of Manchester together. A historic Didsbury setting and a contemporary view of Hulme. That feels very appropriate for an exhibition celebrating the places, people and stories that make our communities what they are. Sometimes our heritage isn't something locked behind glass; it’s right in front of us.

The Didsbury Parsonage's Heritage Open Days exhibition, “Didsbury & Beyond,” runs from 1–27 September 2026, with the wider Heritage Open Days programme taking place from 11–20 September. The exhibition brings together artists capturing Didsbury, Manchester and places further afield.

The exhibition list includes paintings, photographs and other artworks inspired by local landscapes, buildings, communities and places. My photograph measures approximately 24.5cm × 18cm and is listed as available to purchase through the Parsonage.

Hulme has always fascinated me as part of Manchester's constantly evolving identity. It is a neighbourhood shaped by enormous change - architecturally, socially and culturally. The mosque in my photograph represents one small part of that story.

Rather than photographing heritage as something frozen in time, I wanted to capture something alive. The setting sun adds another layer. Sunsets are temporary; they last only a few minutes, yet they can completely change how we see a familiar place.

As a Manchester-based artist and cartoonist, much of my work is inspired by everyday life, human behaviour, social observation and the places around me.

Visit the exhibition

If you're looking for a Manchester art exhibition with a strong sense of place, the Heritage Open Days exhibition at Didsbury Parsonage is well worth discovering.

The Parsonage is at: The Old Parsonage, Stenner Lane, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2RQ

If you happen to find yourself wandering around Didsbury this September, take a little detour. You might discover a piece of Manchester you haven't seen before. And perhaps, somewhere between Didsbury and Hulme, you'll catch the sunset too.