Michael Forbes

Studio B5

Michael Forbes art practice is grounded in a conceptual framework of contemporary politics, migration, blackness, and whiteness, while drawing upon historical and religious contexts. He explores these concepts across painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and digital media. 

Forbes' practice has an experimental approach to form, content and is committed to exploring new methods of art making. Conscious of the distinction between personal testimony and broader social significance, Forbes' practice extends beyond his individual lived experience to address global, social and historical concerns. 

Forbes' practice is responsive to the concerns of the 21st century, recognising the profound effects of contemporary politics on the lived realities of diverse communities at local and global scales. This positioning reinforces his commitment to provoking dialogues that resonate with the contemporary socio-political context and to amplify the socio-cultural impact of his work. His artistic process combines the production of new work with a long-term cyclical of development: individual pieces evolve over prolonged periods as they incorporate new insights, materials, and responses to ongoing research. In some instances, the research itself becomes the artwork, translating critical research by thinkers such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Charles W. Mills, and George Yancy.

Forbes’ work is in the Government Art Collection and exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, Djanogly Gallery, Attenborough Arts Centre, New Art Exchange, Tomorrow: London, White Cube, Yinka Shonibare’s Guest Projects, and the Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. 

Alongside his artistic practice, he has curated exhibitions and contributed to the professional development of artists through mentoring and organisational development. 

Forbes is a graduate of the Royal College of Art (MA Sculpture) and Nottingham Trent University (BA Hons Photography). He co-founded RCA Black, supporting black students at the Royal College of Art through networking, mentoring, scholarships, and advocacy, and collaborated with Nottingham Trent University to develop scholarships for black artists on its MA Fine Art programme. 

He is also a co-founder of Primary, where he served as Chair of the Board of Trustees until 2024, and played a key role in the establishment and early programming of the New Art Exchange.

Image Credits: Profile photo, Vanley Burke; image gallery, Nick Dunmur.