The George Padmore Institute (GPI) is pleased to announce this year’s Artist in Residence is Gary March, a contemporary sculptor, designer and artist of British and African-Caribbean descent. This is the first time a sculptor has held the Residency at the GPI, which has, among our unique collections, the archives of the Caribbean Artists Movement (1965-1995), marking a full-circle moment sixty years after that key movement began.
GPI Chair Roxy Harris
'I’m delighted that the George Padmore Institute is able to announce another exciting residency initiative inspired by the contents of our archives. The activist organisations which led directly to the founding of the GPI in 1991 consistently integrated cultural practice and cultural creativity within all their initiatives.'
About Gary March
Growing up at a time of economic decline in 1970s Birmingham, Gary was exposed to increasing racial and social inequality, a harsh reality for a Caribbean child where hearing, ‘You are not good enough, you are too different’ could have had a detrimental impact. But Gary chose to be inspired by his childhood instead. He says, ‘My colourful Caribbean and British upbringing encouraged me to gather the best of the stories, colours, smell and sounds, which supported my escape, to imagine a different environment where my mixed heritage unleashed my creativity. I decided to control my own narrative. I used the cultural impact of my experiences to create an emotional exchange with unwanted materials and my story. I began to realise that the ugly and the broken that was supposed to be discarded could create a soul experiment by exploring my DNA with sustainability, environment and waste.’
Gary’s work combines a creative use of reclaimed and recycled materials with explorations of the intersection of identity, culture and environment. He also leads workshops for children and adults, reinforcing his belief in art’s capacity to connect, inspire and empower, which he himself felt as a child. He says, ‘From an early age, I was drawn to the act of carving, experimenting with materials as varied as soap and stone, exploring their textures and the unique ways they yield to the hand.’
Previous Artists in Residence at the GPI
Trinidadian-born contemporary composer Dominique Le Gendre, children’s author and illustrator Ken Wilson-Max and poet Jay Bernard have all used our archive collections to create new work. Most recently, Dominque used the personal correspondence in the 1960s between our first Chair, the late John La Rose, and the late poet Edward Kamau Brathwaite to compose a song cycle, ‘Dreaming Change’. Her work juxtaposes the intimacy of personal letter writing with the broader historical impacts these communications conveyed amidst major transformations in both the Caribbean and the UK.
Award-winning poet Jay Bernard stated about their time as Artist in Residence: 'My residency at the George Padmore Institute opened an unexpected path for me. Without it, I might never have developed the engagement with history which has animated my practice in ways I did not imagine. It was an intervention in my creative life for which I am extremely grateful. Best of all, the archive is endless. The GPI is an incredible resource that, in light of continual violence and oppression at home and abroad, remains ever relevant and useful in helping us think through, and write about, our present moment.'
The Artist in Residence programme is part of our National Portfolio Organisation funding from Arts Council England. It supports artists to create innovative responses to our archive collections, which enriches everyone’s understanding of the legacy and impact of diverse communities in the UK.
GPI Trustee Kevin Le Gendre, Journalist and Broadcaster
‘I have followed Gary March’s work over a number of years and have always been impressed by its originality and imagination. His sculptures and carvings are outstanding. The subject matter he investigates is very broad, offering thought-provoking reflection on Black British identity and the human condition. I have no doubt that he will be stimulated by the George Padmore Institute archives during his tenure as Artist in Residence, and this will inspire him to produce more excellent work.’
Further Information on Gary March
Gary March is a contemporary sculptor, designer and artist of British and African-Caribbean descent. His creative use of reclaimed and recycled materials combines with a practice which explores the intersection of his identity, culture and environment. In 2003, he obtained a diploma in Architectural Stone Carving from the City & Guilds of London Art School. His works have been included in exhibitions at London Design Week, as well as All Kind of Naughty (2020) with The Thames Group of Artists, and Black Sun, a collaborative exhibition with Tadeus Blower at the Brixton Art Club (2021-2022). Commissioned work includes the Mother Earth grotesque sculpture, which is permanently located on the façade of Saint George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle (2006), a wooden bench carved for the Methodist Church Green Lanes, London and many others.
To interview Gary March about the Residency please contact Teresa Palmiero at info@georgepadmoreinstitute.org
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