Ministry of Arts Podcast

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Andy Aitchison (@AndyAitchison.uk)   Andy Aitchison is a documentary photographer best known for his long-term exploration of the UK prison system. Since first photographing inside HMP Wandsworth in 2004, he has spent more than two decades documenting life behind bars, gaining rare access to prisons across the country. His work moves beyond ster...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Emma Dogliani (@music_in_the_ville)   Music in the Ville is a charity that brings professional musicians of all genres into HMP Pentonville to perform and run weekly workshops and monthly open mic sessions on the wings. In a prison where most men spend 22 hours a day locked in cells, Music in the Ville brings light, humanity and connection through week...

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Rob Munday (@mundayspace) Rob Munday is a World renowned Holographic artist, who has produced commissioned portraits of [among many others] HM Queen Elizabeth II, Angelina Jolie and Karl Largerfeld. His Portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II was later used on Jersey’s £100 banknote and postage stamp. His latest series ‘Naturaliaum’ is a set of large-scale...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Louis Wootton-Davies (@LouisWDavies)   Louis Wootton-Davies is an artist whose work is shaped by memory, curiosity and the hidden histories of everyday places. A recurring influence throughout his practice is his father, who owned a scrap car yard and worked hard to provide greater opportunities for his children. Visits to the yard were rare, making th...

  In this REWIND episode (released: Jan 2020) Gary Mansfield speaks Wilfrid Wood (@WilfridWoodSculptor)   When you view any of Wilfrid’s works, a smile is always close by. A prolific drawer from life, Wilfrid invites a sitter to be drawn on a near daily basis. As soon as they cross the studio threshold, they are very definitely entering a new world. His days working on satirica...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to the O and A Collective (@OandACollective)   O and A collective is a collaboration of UK-based artists Zoe Moss and Jonny Fyvie, two contemporary painters merging two very different styles. Bold graphic acrylic meets photorealistic oil painting. The work explores a number of themes, within their use of characters from popular culture and juxtapos...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Tamm Reynolds (@MidgitteBardot)   Tamm Reynolds is a study in contrasts: grounded, observant, quietly sharp. By day they navigate the ordinary with practiced grace, cataloguing human habits and social theatre; By night they become Midgitte Bardot, their alter ego. Brazen, glittering, unapologetically theatrical.   Midgitte turns wit into spectacle...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Kellie Miller (@KellieMillerArts)   Kellie Miller Arts (KMA) is an artist-owned gallery located in the prestigious, historic heart of the Brighton cultural quarter, a fitting setting for a space sympathetic to the art of storytelling.   The gallery houses local, national and international artists, with works that speak of the artistic process...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Matt Murphy (@MattMurphyArt)   Matt Murphy is a professional artist specialising in both watercolours and oils. He is best known for his unique abstract portraits created through a modern, non-traditional approach. With decades of experience, Matt has exhibited in London and across the UK, and his work has been featured in art magazines and podcasts. H...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Sara Reeve (@sarareevedraws)   We are very excited to have Sara Reeve to the Sussex Portrait Artist of the Year 2026 judging panel!⁣   As a former runner-up on Sky’s Portrait @artistoftheyear Sara knows exactly what it’s like to be in a live portrait competition.⁣ ⁣ Now, she’s bringing her artistic expertise to @thevenueworthing on 28th Mar...

In this episode Gary Mansfield talks to Maggi Hambling Maggi Hambling is a prominent British painter and sculptor known for her expressive, often controversial work. Born in 1945 in Sudbury, Suffolk, she studied at the Ipswich School of Art and later at the Royal College of Art. Hambling’s art spans painting, sculpture and public memorials, frequently exploring themes of death, memory and the sea....

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Calum Hall of Creative Debuts (@CreativeDebuts)   Creative Debuts connect artists with brands, businesses, and art lovers - through art rental, commissions, events, and storytelling that sparks real change.   Founded in 2013 by  Forbes 30 Under 30  honouree Calum Hall, Creative Debuts exists to make the art world fairer, b...

 In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield talks to sound artist Martyn Ware (@martynware), music producer and founding member of both Human League & Heaven 17.   Martyn co-curated ReAnimate, an exhibition of sound spread over several rooms of the National Portrait Gallery where several artists were invited to create sound portraits, as part of the Late Shift Extra events. For The Nation...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Pure Evil (@MichelleHeron.art)   Michelle Heron is best known for her evocative paintings of shop-fronts, which capture the quiet character of everyday streets. Working primarily in oil, Heron focuses on independent shops, cafés and small businesses, often depicting them closed, weathered or slightly worn. Her work is less about commerce and more about...

  In this REWIND episode (recorded: Feb 2019) Gary Mansfield speaks to Katie Piper OBE (@katiepiper_)   Katie Piper OBE is popular TV presenter/personality, model, writer, activist and a whole lot more. In 2008 she was horrifically attacked with acid, severely scarring her face and chest; she also lost the sight of her left eye. Katie later founded the Katie Piper Foundation, helping oth...

In this episode Gary Mansfield talks to Emily Malice (@emilymalice) Emily Malice is one of the most sort-after artists in the UK, she is one of the many bold and powerful women that are rebalancing the gender scale of the once heavily male orientated industry. She is famed for her linear style mouth design, smiling or snarling and showing braces fixed to the teeth. As well as selling prints of her...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Catrin Osborne (@CatrinOsborne)   Catrin Osborne is a multidisciplinary artist and photographer whose work explores identity, femininity and the shifting nature of the female body. Known for her intimate portraiture and collaborative approach, Osborne focuses on themes often overlooked in mainstream visual culture, giving voice to women’s lived experie...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to James Payne (@GreatArtExplained)   James Payne is a writer, curator and YouTuber, known for demystifying art via his popular YouTube channel Great Art Explained . His newly released book, Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World’s Greatest Masterpieces , brings that same clarity to the printed page. It explores 30 iconic works — from Botticell...

In this rewind episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Gina Soden (REC: 2019). Gina is a photographic artist that enters once grand and regal buildings to capture images of the last remnants of beauty within those decaying walls. Back in the studio, her creative process produces artworks that are far from dark or macabre. She directs your eye, firstly to a strong focal point, then allows it to absorb the...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Dave Buonaguidi (@RealHackneyDave)   Dave Buonaguidi (aka Real Hackney Dave) is best known for his bold, witty, and thought-provoking screen prints that blend vintage imagery with striking typography. Drawing from his background in advertising, Buonaguidi combines humour, social commentary, and nostalgia to challenge conventional ideas of art an...

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Dave Buonaguidi (@RealHackneyDave) - November 2018. Dave Buonaguidi had literally decided to become a screen-printer overnight. He left his job, in advertising on a Friday, went on a one-day screen-printing course at Print Club London on the Saturday and fell in love with the rapid creative process that day. Dave is best known for laying bold text ov...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Stefdies (@StefDies)   Stefdies is a performance and conceptual artist known for her striking photographic series in which she stages her own “death” in public and private spaces. Her work explores themes of vulnerability, mortality, and absurdity within everyday life. By placing her lifeless body in unexpected environments, she provokes reflect...

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Mark Wallinger (recorded: November 2018). Mark Wallinger is known for exploring identity, faith, and politics through diverse media. His Labyrinth (2013) project placed unique labyrinth designs across London’s Underground stations, symbolising journeys and introspection. Earlier, his celebrated sculpture Ecce Homo (1999) depicted a life-sized, vulner...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Rod Kitson (@RodKitsonArt)   Rod Kitson is an artist known for his expressive portraiture and socially engaged art projects. Kitson’s work often explores themes of identity, community, and mental health. His distinctive style combines bold brushwork with a keen sensitivity to his subjects, capturing emotion and character in equal measure.   Kitson...

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Mat Collishaw (recorded: Nov 2018).   Mat Collishaw was a key figure in Damien Hirst's legendary Freeze exhibition, as well as Charles Saatchi's controversial [at the time] Sensations exhibition at the Royal Academy.   Mat has used the latest VR technology to recreate William Henry Fox Talbot's 1839 photography exhibition, even including th...