Gary Mansfield

Welcome to episode 82 with Gary Mansfield who is an artist, curator and host of The Ministry of Arts podcast.

In his early twenties, Gary was sentenced to 14 years in prison after £4.2 million worth of heroin was planted in the boot of his car.

While serving his time Gary joined an art class and it would completely change the direction of his life.

He wrote to several high-profile artists while still inside, many of which wrote back and mentored him through the creative process and helped him to find his own style.

Gary started a fine art degree on the day he was released and is now a well-known and respected artist in his own right.

Gary’s work often centres around identity, Empathy and time and we chat about these themes.

We chat about how Gary wound up in prison and we chat mental health, the prison system and using art and creativity as an agent for change.

Gary’s passion for art is infectious and it was a real honour to hear him talk about his life and his work.

I also highly recommend his podcast, Ministry of Arts, where Gary chats to a who’s who from the art world and a few names you might recognise from this podcast too.

You can follow Gary on social media here @mizogart and via his podcast page here @ministryofartsorg

You can catch up with me at www.propermentalpodcast.com  or connect with me via social media @propermentalpodcast.

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Thanks for listening!