Ben Wilson
I grew up in North London. My parents were both artists. My father was a ceramicist, and I worked with clay from the age of three and a half. Dad often included us in his experimental theatre. Myself and my five siblings grew up in a lively and creative environment and we were very much loved.
Our house was not far from Hadley Woods, which had a big impact on me. I spent a lot of my twenties in green open spaces and woodland, creating art environments and sculpting with the natural materials I found. My work has always been informed by the environment it’s created, wherever I may be. For me, it’s about respecting a place. If you spend enough time anywhere, it starts to tell you what to do.
I have always been upset by all the rubbish lying around, but I found it cathartic to take the rubbish away and transform it into art. I love the idea of taking something thrown away and repurposing it into something new. Although I am a wood sculptor, for the last 22 years, people have also known me as the Chewing Gum Man. I transform discarded Chewing Gum into miniature paintings in situ. I paint these using a technique I have perfected over the years, melting shaping and flattening the gum. People often ask what I’m doing, lying on the street. We human beings are quite naturally inquisitive, and over the years I have been asked to do hundreds of requests for people. The act of interacting and celebrating with communities is hugely fulfilling.
Over the years I have known and loved Hampstead Heath. I am excited to do new work inspired by a place.
My work has taken me all over the world, from London, to the Arctic Circle. Each day offers infinite possibilities, and I am excited by the people I encounter as I work. Our environment is very controlled and I have found a space where art can happen in a spontaneous way that can be discovered if we look.