Artwork

Since obtaining a Diploma in Architectural Stone Carving from the City & Guilds of London Art School in 2003, Gary has worked as a sculptor inspired by traditional European carving, Surrealist ready-mades, and stonework techniques drawn from African, in particular Shonan sculpture.

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Through this playful blend of approaches, Gary explores themes of sustainability, beauty and value. “There is no such thing as rubbish,” Gary tells me, “there are only materials full of colours, textures, and energy. Figuring out a way of repurposing used materials is at the heart of my practice, because it’s crucial to our ability to survive and flourish on earth.” Whilst studying at City & Guilds, Gary won a competition to create a sculptural commission for Windsor Castle. His Mother Earth grotesque sculpture is permanently installed on the facade of the castle’s Saint George Chapel; playing with the art historical term ‘grotesque’ – a term designating ancient Roman murals that came to mean ‘repulsively ugly’ in English – Gary’s sculpture refigured the grotesque as a protective, maternal figure guarding the chapel.

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Inspired by environmentalism, his Afro-Caribbean heritage and childhood in Birmingham, Gary’s sculptures evolved as investigation into his own DNA and the origins and journeys of the materials he works with. “When I use a particular material, we go on a journey: it will reveal itself to me, and I will reveal myself to the material.” Gary’s intimacy with his material is inherently humanist and political: no person, object or action is expendable. “I love working in a way that resonates with the material’s particular history, its origins and the types of labour that have already been undertaken to extract it.” Using both Portland stone from Bristol, industrial tools from London building sites, and Springstone from Zimbabwe, Gary’s works contain rich associations.

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Gary’s solo show Reborn, in collaboration with ArtULTRA, will take place at Proposition Camden, London, from 5 to 15 October 2023.