Ministry of Arts Podcast

In this REWIND episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Peter Morris @petermorrisarchitects
@kcawlondon

Peter Morris is primarily an architect, who has been running his own practice for over a decade. But his other creative work – as an artist, illustrator, model-maker and designer of products and interiors – has always sat alongside his architectural work, and he loves to bring the colour, quirkiness and joy of his artworks to his buildings wherever possible.

The sculpture joining KCAW ART TRAIL this summer is a Wendy House version of a house that Peter is about to start building for his family, in North London, called The Cloud House – and the story of how this lifelong dream came into being has deep roots in the K&C borough.

Commenting on the theme of this year’s Kensington + Chelsea Art Week, Peter said: “Kensington & Chelsea changed me, and this artwork reflects and celebrates that change.”

For more information on the Kensington Chelsea Art Week & Trail go to
https://www.kcaw.co.uk

To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts

For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk
Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com
Social Media: @ministryofartsorg
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to GG The Illustrator (@ggtheillustrator)

GG the Illustrator is a London-based artist whose work celebrates the architecture, people and communities of council estates across the capital. Working across acrylic, watercolour and digital illustration, she creates detailed, colourful images that document everyday life in neighbourhoods often overlooked by the traditional art world. Her ongoing mission to paint every council estate in London reflects her passion for preserving the memories, character and identity of working-class communities, particularly as estates face regeneration, demolition and displacement.

Through her art, GG challenges perceptions of council housing and gives importance to places and stories that are frequently ignored, creating a lasting record of London’s changing social landscape.

For more information on The Art Car Boot Fair, go to: @art_car_boot_fair

To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts

For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk
Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com
Social Media: @ministryofartsorg

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Gary Mansfield speaks to Alison Lapper MBE (@alison_lapper_mbe)

Born with no arms and shortened legs, Alison Lapper spent most of her childhood trying to piece together her own identity. Her extraordinary background and passion for creativity has given us one of the county’s most inspirational artists.
Alison’s reputation was bolstered when Marc Quinn created his modern day ‘Venus de Milo’ for Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, a white marble sculpture of the 8 months pregnant Alison titled, ‘Alison Lapper Pregnant’. That sculpture also went on to be shown at the Venice Biennale with an inflatable version used for the opening of the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony. Alison was awarded an MBE in 2003 and later, an honorary doctorate from the University of Brighton.

Since this episode Ali and I have been firm friends, working together a few times and both being trustees for @the drugof.art, a charity to encourage young people to be creativeto support their mental health.

For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www. ministryofarts.org Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com Social Media: @ministryofartsorg
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Steeldoor Studios (@SteeldoorStudios)

Steeldoor Studios is the pseudonym of a self-taught artist whose work has been shaped by a lifetime of institutional experience, including many years spent in prison.
Creating primarily in acrylic, ink and pencil, the artist explores themes of identity, confinement, recovery, resilience and personal transformation.
Their paintings frequently feature powerful self-portraits and symbolic imagery, inviting viewers to reflect on the psychological effects of incarceration and the enduring capacity for hope.

Despite being colour-blind, Steeldoor Studios has developed a distinctive visual style, using carefully selected palettes and expressive compositions to convey emotion and narrative. Art became both a creative outlet and a means of rehabilitation, allowing difficult experiences to be transformed into meaningful works. The artist's work has been exhibited publicly and discussed at conferences, gaining recognition for its honesty and emotional depth. Through Steeldoor Studios, creativity becomes a vehicle for healing, self-expression and reconnecting with society beyond prison walls.

Solo Show - ‘Stretched to the Limit’ by Steel Door Studios at National Justice Museum Saturday 23 May to Sunday 1 November 2026

“Steel Door Studios has produced a deeply moving and personal reflection on a broken prison system; each piece invites us to confront difficult truths and asks: who holds the power to define the prison system? Collectively, the pieces propose that we all have a responsibility to shape a system that benefits the whole of society by placing rehabilitation, well-being and desistance from crime at its core. “

For more information on the work of Steeldoor Studios go to
https://steeldoorstudios.com/

To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts

For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.co.uk
Email: ministryofartsorg@gmail.com
Social Media: @ministryofartsorg

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Gary Mansfield speaks Helen Downie aka Unskilled Worker (@unskilledworker)

Helen is a self-taught artist and has been painting for just seven years, in that short time, she has amassed over 280,000 Instagram followers, under the Moniker Unskilled Worker and has become one of the country’s most sought after painters.
Helen wanted her Unskilled Worker to be anonymous, sexless, ageless and colourless. She wanted it to be anyone. As her popularity grew, as did the viewer’s curiosity as to whom this person was, that created such stand-alone artwork. To Helen’s amusement, the most popular belief was that it was a 24 year old male behind this name.

This podcast was recorded via the video meeting app, ZOOM; during social distancing, using the built-in software.

For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www. ministryofarts.org
Email: info@ministryofarts.org
Social Media: @ministryofartsorg
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.