About Michael Forbes

Michael Forbes is an artist living and working between Nottingham and London. He gained his MA in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London, after graduating in Photography from Nottingham Trent University. Forbes’ practice explores contemporary racial politics, migration, blackness and whiteness in relation to universal debates on race, class, wealth, history and religion. He works across sculpture, installation, photography and digital media, with each medium present in different concentrations and levels depending on the body of work. 

Forbes has exhibited internationally, with exhibitions including: White Cube, online, Saatchi Gallery, London, Yinka Shonibare’s Guest Projects, the Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, and Gallatin Galleries, New York. He will have shows in 2021 and 2022 at Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham, Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire, New Art Exchange, Nottingham, Royal Sculpture Society, London. Alongside his artistic  practice, Forbes has curated many exhibitions and supports artists’ professional development. The artist played a leading role in developing the New Art Exchange, Nottingham, and its early programme, and is a founding member of Primary, an artist studio complex in Nottingham, where he holds a studio and is now Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

Education 

2018-2020 Royal College of Art, London, MA Sculpture 

2015-2016 Progressive Property - VIP Programme, mentoring with Rob Moore and Mark Homer

2016 White Box Property Solutions - Property Developers Secrets with Andi Cooke and Lloyd Girardi 

2009-2011   Landmark Education - Curriculum for Living 

1995-1998   Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, BA (Hons) Photography

1994-1995   West Notts College, Nottinghamshire, BTEC Foundation Art & Design

Residencies and Awards

2021  Yorkshire Sculpture Park

2021  Selector for Kensington & Chelsea Art Week

2018-20 Rose Finn-Kelcey Scholarship

2018   Nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Artist Awardss

2017   Winner of Black Achievers Award for Arts, Media and Culture 

2016-2018 The International Curators Forum (ICF), in partnership with University of the Arts London (UAL)

Mentor: Director of International Curators Forum, David A Bailey

2011  International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York

2002  British Council, Jamaica

Selected Exhibitions

2022  Blk This & Blk That (solo exhibition), Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham

2021  Untitled - Pop Up show at Yorkshire Sculpture Park 

2021  Cut & Mix: Visual Representations of Black British Masculine Identities, The New Art Exchange, Nottingham

2021  Space Lapse: RCA Sculpture 2020,  Royal Sculpture Society, London 

2020  London Grads Now, Saatchi Gallery, London 

2020  Tomorrow: London, White Cube Gallery, London

2020  RCA2020    Royal College of Art, Degree Show 

2018  Reformation - Guest Project. Group show - Nadim Chaudry, Michael Forbes, Barbara Walker

2018  Diaspora Pavilion I Venice to Wolverhampton - Wolverhampton Art Gallery

2017  Venice - Diaspora Platform - Internation Curators Forum, at Palazzo Santa Marina. see link for further details

2016  Nottingham Castle Open - Winner of the Nottingham Castle purchse prize 

2016  Untitled, Harley Gallery, Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire 

2015  Acquistion, Quad, Derby

2014  Since 1843: In the Making, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham

2012  Opem 2, The Collection Lincoln 

2012  Next Generation: Contemporary American Photography, Pasinger Fabrik  Amerika Haus, Munich

2012  CPT:Time, History and Memory, Gallatin Galleries, New York

2011  Metropolitan Wonderland, ISCP, New York 

2011  Souls Of The Diaspora, ISCP, New York 

2010  Because I Can, Nottingham 

2008  Next We Change Earth, The New Art Exchange, Nottingham

2007  The Redemptive Beauty Of Life After Death, The Bonington Gallery, Nottingham

2006  When Men And Mountain Meet, Gallery One, Zagreb

2006  Mostyn 2006 Open Exhibition, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno 

2003  Celebration Of Death, Photo Club Zagreb, Zagreb 

2003  Drawing With Light Festival, Waterstones, Nottingham

2003  Shot In JA, Picture House  Centre for Photography, Leicester 

2003  Celebration Of Death, Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana 

2002  There Is No Redemption, The Bonington Gallery,  Nottingham 

2001  International Print Competition, The Royal Photographic Society, Bath

2001  Celebration Of Death, The Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Nottingham

2000  Black, The Gallery, Stratford-upon-Avon 

1997  Recontres Internationales De La Photographie, Arles, France