20/20 meet the artists: Curtis Holder
- Written byKatie Moss
- Published date 20 August 2023
In June, UAL announced the twelve emerging and mid-career artists in the second of 2 cohorts for 20/20: a national commissioning and network project directly investing in the careers of a new generation of ethnically diverse artists.
20/20 was launched in November 2021 by UAL Decolonising Arts Institute, working with a network of 20 UK public collections, museum and gallery partners, and with funding from Freelands Foundation, Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants Programme and UAL.
We caught up with Curtis Holder about being selected for the second cohort of artists for 20/20. His residency is taking place at Leeds Art Gallery.
Tell us about your artistic work, discipline & background
"The focus of my practice is to use line to investigate motivations, connections and conversations through the passage of time. I work primarily in coloured pencils on paper to create large-scale portraits and figurative works.
"Conversation is the starting point of all my work, well before I put pencil to paper. The dialogue I enter into with my subjects is a point of connection where we can share our experiences and emotions. It’s where we begin to understand our individual motivations, differences and similarities. It’s the point where, together, we begin to make the work. Mark making is the conduit through which I try to translate and extend that spoken language into something more complex. I hope to present deeper layers of emotion in the work, as well as recording the passage of time we spend together through the multilayered lines of pencil.
"Ultimately, my work aims to present an interpretation of the thoughts and feelings of others, as well as my own. I use my pencils to pose and answer difficult questions, in the hope of finding a resolution. My subjects sometimes sit uncomfortably within large amounts of negative space. These compositions enable me to feel free and to take up space in a way that I, and some of my subjects, feel unable to do in everyday life. The drawings document the thoughts and conversations of individuals who would otherwise be unlikely to give themselves room or permission to share this part of themselves."
Why did you apply for the 20/20 project?
"Museums and galleries play a vital role in showcasing a place's stories and heritage, connecting its past, present and future. They serve as custodians, honestly representing the community they serve. Participating in this project allows me to contribute to the ongoing conversation surrounding decolonisation. As an artist, my drawings serve as my voice, and collaborating with a gallery is a natural way to engage in this dialogue.
"My hope is to witness a more diverse audience, including people who share my background, benefiting from our art institutions. I hope to captivate individuals with the concealed history of our country through my artwork, reshaping the narrative of what it means to be Black and British. By contributing my work, I hope to expand the diversity of art exhibited in galleries and museums, enriching the experience for all visitors. Above all, I desire local communities to feel a sense of belonging and connection with Leeds Art Gallery."
What conversations, thoughts or feelings do you hope to encourage amongst your audiences during your residency?
"During my time in Leeds, I hope to encourage and document the voices and experiences of those individuals who have seen themselves as underrepresented in their local museum and gallery experiences. I want to hear about the experiences they had to navigate in order to access the positive aspects of the gallery experience. I would like to facilitate discussions and activities around individual works in the gallery, including works that have proven problematic, and engage in an open and safe dialogue to share thoughts and feelings about these works.
"My aim is to find out how all gallery spaces could learn from engaging with their local community to productively move forward and change the landscape of public art engagement for everyone."
Follow Curtis Holder on social media:
Instagram: @curtisartist