Inspired by RB Kitaj’s portrait of prolific British art collector, Colin St John Wilson and his family, this self portrait was created as part of my artist residency with The UAL decolonising Arts Institute in conjunction with Pallant House Gallery. Kitaj’s painting is a dynamic snapshot of Wilson’s studio and home environment titled ‘The Architects’; my ballpoint and coloured felt pen drawing emulates the composition with the sitter looking perturbed by the intrusive gaze of the viewer.
This self portrait, ‘A British Artist’, shows me in my home where I work, presenting an image which may contradict what one may typically envisions when they think of the quintessential British artist. I strive to disrupt antiquated stereotypes. This work shows a modern image of what it means to be a British Artist by celebrating the disenfranchised Black or mixed race British man. The bold use of colour and geometrical lines is a homage to Colin St John Wilson’s vast collection of British Pop Art, with a direct influence from British Pop artists Patrick Caulfield and Peter Blake.
