Ministry of Arts Podcast

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Kevin Devonport (@KevinDevonportFineArt)   Kevin Devonport is a self-taught British artist whose journey from prison to international recognition highlights the life-changing power of art. Raised in Leeds, he left school without qualifications and served several prison terms for drug-related offences.  During a 13-year sentence, he discovered pain...

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Rugman (@@rugmanart)   Rugman is known for blending street art with fine art influences. His bold work often combines graphic iconography, stencil techniques, and layered textures.   Drawing inspiration from pop culture, politics, and global symbolism, he reimagines familiar imagery with a subversive twist. Rugman frequently explores themes...

PART 2 In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Helen Starr (@themechatroniclibrary) Helen Starr, a Trinidadian artist and activist, is known for blending digital technology with cultural storytelling. She explores identity, indigeneity, and spirituality through immersive art, often using virtual and augmented reality. Helen advocates for inclusivity in the arts, challenging colonial narratives an...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Helen Starr (@themechatroniclibrary)   Helen Starr, a Trinidadian artist and activist, is known for blending digital technology with cultural storytelling. She explores identity, indigeneity, and spirituality through immersive art, often using virtual and augmented reality.   Helen advocates for inclusivity in the arts, challenging colonial narrat...

REWIND Ep. 14: Bill Daggs - Ministry of Arts Podcast In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Bill Daggs (@billdaggs) In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Bill Daggs, a multidisciplinary artist who weaves painting, sculpture, installation, text, moving image, performance and sound into poetic explorations of urban rituals, memory and community. Rooted in a background as an MC, his visua...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Graeme Messer (@GraemeMesser)   Graeme Messer is a London-based multidisciplinary artist whose work spans assemblage, photography, text, and performance. Originally from South Africa, he moved to the UK in the 1980s and built a successful early career in theatre, directing works by Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams, and founding the award-winni...

  In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Franko B (@franko_b_artist)   Franko B is a performance and multidisciplinary artist known for using his body to explore themes of pain, love, and politics. Active since the 1990s, his provocative work spans performance, installation, video, and painting. Often confronting taboo subjects, Franko B challenges perceptions of vulnerability a...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Haus of Lucy (@HouseOfLucy)   Haus of Lucy is a contemporary multimedia artist based in Sussex, celebrated for her unique fusion of traditional art with modern culture, often delivered with a satirical twist. With a background in magazine design, she made the leap to full-time artistry in 2019 following a high-profile commission for the Adidas f...

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Alice Maher (@Maher. Alice)   Alice Maher is a prominent Irish contemporary artist whose work explores themes of identity, gender, mythology, and the body. Born in 1956 in County Tipperary, Maher studied at the University of Ulster, Belfast, and the San Francisco Art Institute. Her practice spans a wide range of media, including drawing, sculptu...

  In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Simon Callery (@Simon. Callery)   Simon Callery is known for his innovative approach to painting, which bridges the gap between two-dimensional surfaces and three-dimensional space. Born in London in 1960, Callery studied at Campion School and later at Cardiff College of Art. His work challenges traditional definitions of painting by inco...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to SLART (@SLART.ME)    SLART — a figurative expressionist and proud outsider artist based in Swindon, UK.   He dropped out of his A-level art class after his teacher told him he couldn’t draw large scale. It wasn’t until his late 30s that he picked up pen and ink again, prompted by a blog post that posed three questions about childhood p...

REWIND Ep.06 Si Sapsford - Ministry of Arts Podcast   In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Si Sapsford (@SiSapsford)   Si Sapsford is a multidisciplinary artist known for her innovative work across performance, installation, and digital media. Her practice explores themes of identity, technology, and the body, often challenging societal norms through provocative and immersive...

REWIND Ep.05 James Gray & Cafe Art - Ministry of Arts Podcast   In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to James Gray & Cafe Art (@CafeArtUK)   In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to both abstract artist James Gray and to Cafe Art, a group that helps and supports homeless artists. James has been mentored and supported by Cafe Art, making his journey out of homelessness a smoother...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Zack Mennell (@ZackMennell)   Zack Mennell is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist whose work delves into themes of queerness, neurodivergence, and the complexities of visibility. Through performance, photography, and writing, Zack aims to unsettle familiar spaces, making visible the tensions embedded within them.   Their artistic practice often...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Carrie Reichardt (@CarrieReichardt)   Carrie Reichardt is not only one of Gary Mansfield's favourite artists, but one of his favourite people. She is such a multi-layerd person, a mosaic artist, a craftivist, she’s vocally opposed to death penalty and an all-round bloody good person, albeit a bit of an eccentric one. Carrie Reichardt is bes...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Jessica Gale (@Jess. Gale. Art)   Jessica Gale is a British landscape artist born in 1967 in Catterick, Yorkshire. She began painting in 2010 during a period living in Amsterdam, inspired by the subdued beauty of a Dutch winter and influenced by Rembrandt's moody palette . Her work encompasses both representational and abstract landsca...

REWID to August 2018: Ep.02: Patrick Hughes - Ministry of Arts Podcast In Episode 2 you get to meet Patrick Hughes, the artist that brought about the mind-boggling Reverse Perspective manner of painting on a 3D surface. The sound quality of this episode is slightly under par, due to a technical difficulty. Feel free to contact Gary with any queries, comments etc: email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Erin-Atlanta Argun (@erinatlanta)   Erin-Atlanta Argun is an art and fashion historian who works as the Commissioning Editor for Edition Magazine at MyArtBroker. She is widely recognised for her vibrant street interview series, “Excuse Me Girl,” where she asks passersby what artwork they would most love to own and why—making art conversations more incl...

REWIND to July 2018: Ep. 01: Duggie Fields - Ministry of Arts Podcast The very first episode of The Mizog Art Podcast features conceptual Maximalist painter Duggie Fields. Duggie was the very first artist that corresponded with Gary Mansfield whilst he was in prison, Gary states that Duggie is the foundation stone of his new life as an artist, or a 'born again' artist, as Gary Jokingly refers to h...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Sara Reeve (@SaraReeveDraws)   Sara Reeve is a Brighton-based painter and tutor with a primary focus on portraiture and painting people. Her work is characterised by strong use of colour, bold shapes, and impactful compositions. Drawing inspiration from both observation and photography, she has a particular interest in portraying women in her paintings...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Carrie Jean Goldsmith (@CarrieJeanGoldsmith)   Carrie Jean Goldsmith is a Canadian-born artist residing in the UK, celebrated for her abstract paintings that emphasize colour, light, and tonal gradation. Her creative process involves layering various media, embracing diverse brush marks and the luminosity of paint to produce unforeseen outcomes. This m...

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Meg Malloy/Working Arts Club (@WorkingArtsClub)   Founded by Meg Molloy in 2024, the Working Arts Club is a London-based independent network dedicated to professionals in the arts from working-class backgrounds.   Originally from Margate, Molloy founded the club to confront the isolation and structural barriers often experienced by those from lowe...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Daisy Collingridge (@Daisy_Collingridge)   Daisy Collingridge is a artist renowned for her unique and thought-provoking textile sculptures. A graduate of Central Saint Martins with a background in fashion design, her work bridges the gap between fine art, sculpture, and costume. Her creations are imaginative, surreal, and often playful, characte...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Eden Maseyk ( @helmgallery_ )   Let’s take a moment to spotlight our incredible guest judges, who have the tough job of choosing the winner at Sussex Portrait Artist of the Year 2025… Meet Eden Maseyk, co-founder and curator of Brighton’s @helmgallery_ ⁣ Passionate about making the art world more accessible, Eden curates a dynamic exhibition pro...

  In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Amy Dury (@ amy_dury )   We are beyond excited to have Amy Dury to the Sussex Portrait Artist of the Year 2025 judging panel!⁣ ⁣ As a former participant on Sky’s Portrait  @artistoftheyear  Amy knows exactly what it’s like to be in a live portrait competition.⁣ ⁣ Her masterful paintings explore societal roles, power dynamics,...