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Charles Matthews

Discipline:

Dancer, Photographer, Writer

Location:

Cardiff/Oslo/Stockholm

ABOUT:

Charles 'Charlie' Matthews is a young dancer and self-taught photographer/writer from Cardiff. He's based in Oslo and Stockholm.

“In 2020, the pandemic and loss of equilibrium led to a reframing of my artistic practice. I turned to photography and writing in lieu of dance. In my written work I explore masculinity, class, grief and longing, often in relation to landscape. My photography is a tender documentation of local flora and 'urban nature' but the body, a dancer's most important material, is missing in the same way the working-class body is denied access to art institutions and establishments. I'm inspired by the tradition of expressing queerness through one's love of flowers, the queer plantsmen before my time, with an awareness that these were men from predominantly well-to-do backgrounds. I'm interested in the physicality of grief and absence. How working-class identities are shaped by the landscape and lack of access to gardens, quiet spaces and nature.”

WORKS:

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'Working Class Creatives' responds to a need which is too often overlooked in the arts; that of the barriers facing working-class artists from getting on in our sector. They are instrumental in initiating much-needed change that will see the art world become more inclusive and reflect the society it purports to serve. I often search their database in my research, it is a vital resource for any arts professional working in culture today. That they have got this far on so little financial resource is remarkable and I am excited to see what they will achieve with further support.” Beth Hughes, Curator, Arts Council Collection.

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