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In the Studio: Hew Locke in the heart of Tate Britain

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Hew Locke in the heart of Tate Britain

07/02/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - In the Studio, Hew Locke in the heart of Tate Britain

The Guyanese-British artist creates his largest work to date.

Every year Tate Britain invites an artist to create an exciting new commission for the grand spaces of the Duveen Galleries at the heart of the building. In 2022 the commission was by internationally renowned Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke. He’s been making work for over thirty years, and the 90-metre space with its unique neo-classical architecture is his most ambitious project to date. 

In 1966, just before Independence, Hew moved to Guyana with his parents, where he spent most of his childhood. This is key to his story as an artist, as icons, myths and individuals that come to represent a country’s notion of nationhood have always fascinated him. Poetic, political and theatrical, Hew’s sculptures are assembled from materials and sources that reference global histories and the symbols of our age; from coats-of-arms, trophies and weapons to plastic toys, boats and flowers. His work explores the languages of colonial and post-colonial power, questioning ideas of global cultural identities and how these representations are altered by the passage of time.

Steeped in history, the artwork is painstakingly researched with the help of Hew’s wife, curator Indra Khanna.

In another opportunity to hear this programme, Felicity Finch joins them in their London studio as the new commission starts to take shape and at Tate Britain for the installation. Hew reflects on the magnitude of this artistic challenge and they both share what it’s like working together to make sure he’s ready for the March opening, despite the delays caused by the pandemic. 

Presented and produced by Felicity Finch

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