GLORY CHARLES
Glory Charles, a young 25-year-old artist, was born in Antigua and moved to London at the age of three. Charles comes from a family of five. His older brother and younger sister accompanied him when the family left their native home of Antigua.
Charles, you could say, has a natural connection with painting. It is an activity, which he considers to be his passion. It acts as a communication vehicle to express his innermost desires and frustrations. "I always had this need and feel to paint." Charles then continued to explain: "When I was young, I played a lot with the brush. I started with cartoon drawings."
Painting for Charles did not begin as an accident. He had an affinity to it all his life, and other attempts to study graphic design or ceramics to secure a "better future" led him to painting.
When did it all begin, your journey to becoming an artist?
I started painting in my mid teens. I studied art and design because I was told to stay away from fine art since there's no career in it. I heard this from everyone, both family and friends. My family, especially, would ask, "What are you going to do with that?" They would tell me that I was taking the easy option, that I was not really pushing myself, that I wasn't thinking about my future, and being an artist has no direction in life.
People understand and are more interested in graphic design or illustration. However, when they see my work, they comment a lot on my color and dreamlike imageries. Then I began to receive encouragement and advice from people to consider fine art. Some time later, I received a scholarship to take summer classes at a university. The summer courses gave me the foundation that I needed to pursue fine art. I had a passion for making my own work.
What did your family say when you told them that you were going to art school?
They understood the idea that I had the talent for art. They saw the reaction of the public when I had my first show. I was stubborn enough to go for the interview with the art school. They just wanted me to have more of a stable career.
Do you have a lot of exhibiting opportunities in the UK?
It was a slow start after college. Often it is difficult because artists come from many parts of the world. And the galleries are cautious about showing an unknown artist. They are very guarded to maintain their reputation. You need an agent or gallery to represent you because space is limited, and you cannot sustain your art career doing it yourself. The gallery I am with, HF Contemporary Art, shows all over Europe and in Austria. I have a show every three months.
How has your agent helped secure shows for you?
My agent helped with contacts at the Commonwealth Institute and the Antiguan Embassy London. She manages all the logistics. This frees me to pursue my art.
What is it like to be a Caribbean artist in the UK?
Antigua is a small island. You get to know everyone. Nothing changes on the island. In London, you are more anonymous. But it is an environment where people are familiar with public works, and are self-sufficient. However, Caribbean art is not viewed well or is misunderstood. If you are identified as a "Caribbean artist," you end up in government-funded spaces and are put aside.
Does Antigua inspire you?
Certainly. London is rainy. Nighttime especially is inspiring. What people take for granted, I see something wonderful that feeds my work. Different viewpoints, different cultures, it's difficult not to get inspired.
Does the repeating bright star in your paintings have a special meaning for you?
It represents the one mystery. How can something be so bright and yet is so mysterious. It represents the limitations of what we understand. It also represents hope.
What were you thinking about when you did the painting called "Railways"?
Progress. Cities are built around railways. It's the relationship between man and nature.
I was traveling a lot and from my personal journeys, I noticed that the vegetation is common throughout London. Along the railway tracks they take their own form. The birds are my obsession. They represent many things. They come and go when they please. They give you the feeling of being alive.
What ideas do you attempt to address in your paintings?
When I make art, it is a mixture of ideas, identities, and internal struggles. The journey through art is fascinating. To me, it represents what it means to be you. You illustrate the confines of who you are. But it is a double-edged sword, because you end up in alternative spaces, or galleries, that deals more with social or community-based projects.
What significance does art making have for you?
The art must engage, like political art, or artists working in cultural development. You have to take aspects of what you deem is classical and incorporate examples of African art in your own artwork, rather than making other people's opinions and viewpoints of you the basis of your work. Once you make a conscious decision that "I have to make this statement and keep making this statement," it becomes less powerful because you don't necessarily engage the full spectrum of the kind of artwork you come from. It is ignored in its intellectual engagement. That's very damaging. You miss the historical significance of the Caribbean, the diversity. You get to a stage where your work takes a different direction because of the social expectations, not a natural progression.
What are you trying to accomplish with your art or through your art?
To be able to put my thoughts and articulate them on canvas is quite interesting. It allows me to convert my ideas. It's like magic. I see elements that permeate through my painting. But painting is quite frustrating also. I sometimes struggle to get my paintings to reach their potential; however, when an idea comes to full fruition, I get this deep love of painting. I've always found peace and quiet.
What lessons have you learned in the European art market that you can share with others?
Make your art, create a large body of work, empower yourself, and develop your work. Today, galleries are always looking for new talent, so develop good quality work. When you regularly sale, it's quite easy to become complacent. Make your work as freely as possible because it makes it unique. It represents you. Strong work that you can rely on puts you in a good position. Galleries will notice it, because they're looking for something different.
What's next for you?
Continue to produce compelling work and persist on getting a museum show.
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