Meet the BRILLIANT artists for Lumiere 2023

Leading UK arts producers, Artichoke, has announced the five successful participants who will create and exhibit new light works at the Lumiere, the UK’s light art biennial. 

Sponsored by locally-based EMG Solicitors, the BRILLIANT scheme encourages anyone to submit a bright idea, not just practising artists. The long-standing scheme’s mission is to broaden the diversity of those working in the medium of light both locally and across the UK, and give an opportunity for non-creatives and early career artists to be part of the biennial.

The selected creatives will now develop their artworks in close consultation with an Artichoke Turst Producer and Production Manager to bring their light installations to life. The artworks will be presented alongside established international and UK artists in a thought-provoking new programme at Lumiere Durham. Commissioned by Durham County Council, Lumiere is a free event for everyone to attend, taking place from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 November 2023.

Since 2011, 27 BRILLIANT artworks have been programmed at Lumiere and seen by over four million visitors. Past works include luminous rope and drainpipes to make supersized knitting needles, a large, metal disc incorporating sound and colour to create a meditative work, a unique light structure made out of thousands of upcycled everyday discarded objects, illuminated street signs and a giant, glowing slinky toy.

Full details of the BRILLIANT artworks will be included in the full Lumiere programme to be announced later this year. To be the first to know what’s happening, sign up to the newsletter at Lumiere-festival.com

Meet the BRILLIANT Artists

Angela Sandwith lives in Seaham, Durham. She works from her studio, a former granary on the family farm, overlooking the East Durham countryside and coast. When not in the studio, Angela can be found working in her 1970s caravan, which she converted using reclaimed and recycled materials. Angela is an artist who has a passion for the natural environment and socio-political issues. She works in a variety of media, though is best known for textiles and wearable art which makes a statement. Using recycled, discarded and unusual materials as metaphors, Angela challenges both their perspective and traditional techniques used, repurposing and giving them a second life with a message and hint to their past. After a long career in Design Education, teaching initially in Secondary schools then as Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Sunderland, she left in 2017 to focus on her art practice.

Gareth Hudson is a video installation artist based in the North East of England, working in moving image and light. Hudson eventually figured out that his work focuses on exploring and capturing transpersonal experience that could also be called sublime, exceptional, spiritual, mystic, psychedelic or transcendent. He uses his practice to examine the utility of such experiences and is passionate about positioning art as vehicle to both listen, observe, and express on matters of spiritual and secular ultimate concern. Hudson’s work utilises moving image, sound design, lighting, projection, and installation in an attempt to make powerfully affecting environments and this comes from attempting to experience moments that are threshold, periphery and liminal. Hudson also lectures in Fine Art, the Moving Image and Lens based Media.

Emma Griffiths is a London-based, multimedia artist, originally from a small working-class town, Ellesmere Port, in North West England. Emma’s work often expresses a feeling, enacts an experience, or shares a message, which are vital purposes of her work. She became strongly connected to art during her childhood. Art helped her to communicate what words couldn’t. Art also became her escapism and a way that she could explore farther than my town. The current focus of Emma’s work is centred around her recent hearing loss diagnosis and reflecting on the denial she has always had. By exploring her relationship with hearing loss, she is being a self-advocate of her diagnosis through art.

Martin Glover is an architect and visual artist with a passion for exploring social themes through a variety of media. His approach to art demonstrates his vested interest in Sign Art, art influenced by BSL. Martin has always had an appreciation of the Arts which has led to him facilitating guided tours for Deaf sign language users in British Sign Language (BSL). He brings passion to his lively presentations which attracts an engaged audience. He has run a mentoring programme for other deaf people to deliver Art tours in BSL to help open up opportunities for Deaf people to participate in the arts and cultural sectors nationally. He is a proud member of this minority linguistic community, bringing this passion to his role as Governor for a school for Deaf children in London. To date, he has secured three public commissions: a wall mural twice, Upfest, Bristol (2021 and 2022) and posters for the Alphabet for Black Rock project, Brighton Council (2021).

Kappa is a recently formed collaboration between the artists Kaori Jones and Patrick Jones, who live and work in London. They both received MAs in sculpture from the Royal College of Art in 2022. Kaori and Patrick are multimedia artists who draw upon their knowledge of anthropology and science and seek to speak with and inspire a diversity of people and communities. They have participated in numerous group exhibitions, including 'Lapped Seams and Silver Linings' at the Standpoint Gallery London. Since 2022, Kaori has exhibited her work with the Amber Room. Patrick is a founding member of SSG. SSG's recent exhibitions include Visions of Sound, Loosen Arts, Rome, and forthcoming exhibitions include Art in the Field, Daguan Contemporary Art Museum, China.