Rebecca Wallersteiner talks to artist Kimberley Gundle about the inspiration behind her new exhibition of colourful, quirky clay sculptural portraits, My Head is a Fairground, at Long and Ryle Gallery, in Pimlico, London, free to visit, until 15th May 2026, exploring how creativity can help to heal us.
“My ceramic sculptures are for anyone who has ever wondered about the inner world of a stranger glimpsed on the Tube” Kimberley Gundle.
Escape from the stress of your medical role by visiting a free exhibition of dramatic ceramic portraits by artist Kimberley Gundle, based on her sketches of commuters, running at Long and Ryle Gallery, in Pimlico, London until 15th May.
Since arriving in Britain from South Africa to take up her place at The Slade in 1988, Gundle has always carried a sketchbook, documenting her daily journeys on the London Underground. Informed by nearly forty years of fleeting encounters with strangers, My Head is a Fairground invites viewers into a playful and vibrant inner world through a combination of artwork and text. We ask Gundle about the inspirations behind her new work and how creativity can help heal us.
Hospital workers are often stressed-out and need to deal with complex problems? Have you found that creating your art eases your stress and anxiety?
Yes for me I find creating definitely mitigates stress, it is a meditation to work with my hands, immersing myself into a world I create.
Do you think creating art acts as good therapy?
Yes it is a way of engaging with yourself through the use of art materials to enable a deeper connection with your inner self.
Your work is very colourful. I also love colour. Do you find it has a positive effect on your mood and energy levels?
I am all about colour, colour brings joy to my every day, makes me feel positive. In my house there is not a white wall anywhere!
I’ve read that you are an adventurous traveller and have stayed in remote settlements in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa and have worked with Maasai women. Did you find that female Maasai deal with stress etc in similar ways to westerners or do they think we are a self-indulgent miserable lot?
It is not my place to speak on behalf of the Maasai women, but I’m sure they don’t think about us at all! They are creative and make ornate beadwork which is not just decorative as each bead colour has a symbol, and their beadwork is a means of communication. For example married women wear different beaded necklaces to unmarried women – beads express their cultural identity.
Please can you describe one of your most memorable encounters with strangers you’ve met by chance on London public transport.
I sketched a man on the Northern line and as I got off the tube he said that he was Lord Eric, and I should look him up. A few weeks later I was sketching once again and I did not see Lord Eric get on the tube carriage. He came up and sat next to me and said he recognised me by my colourful clothing. We chatted, I told him I had looked him up, and I was excited to invite him to my exhibition where I had used the sketch I had made of him to inform my hand-built clay sculptural portrait. I was so sad to hear that this music pioneer had recently died.
Kimberley Gundle in her studio with a group of her ceramic portrait heads, now showing at Long & Ryle. Photo: Charles Best.
Kimberley Gundle’s exhibition includes twelve ceramic portrait heads on handmade plinths, each created from her rapid sketches. Among the characters depicted is a woman wearing headphones; her expression is pursed, with red lips, and her inscription reads: Minds are complex and ever-changing. Another sculpture is of a young man with his eyes closed. The glasses on his head are delicately gold-rimmed. His clay caption reads: Thinking about what makes us feel grounded.
At the centre of the exhibition is Seated Self Portrait In Conversation with My Many Selves. Executed in fibreglass, in cobalt blue, the sculpture is inscribed on the reverse with spirals of thoughts articulating our swirling inner voices. “The work reflects my deep exploration of identity through sculpture”, says Gundle. “I use a three-headed seated self-portrait as a metaphor for introspection and dialogue with different facets of my identity. By choosing a seated position, I create an invitation for engagement, both with my inner self and with viewers, encouraging them to consider their own complexities.”
Each sculpture is inscribed with Gundle’s thoughts, taking inspiration from the legacy of female artists who integrate words and art, private thought and public expression such as Tracey Emin.
Born in 1963, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kimberley Gundle completed her Master’s in Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1990 and has remained in London since then.
An adventurous traveller, between 2009 and 2017, Gundle made numerous trips to the Great Rift Valley in East Africa and lived among the Maasai communities. She stayed in remote settlements where she drew, photographed, and absorbed the culture and traditions. Focusing specifically on Maasai women, she explored their representation through large-scale drawings, screen prints, watercolours and clay and exhibited work inspired by the Maasai at Palazzo Bembo, Italy.
Don’t miss seeing her latest exhibition.
Long & Ryle Ltd, 4 St John Islip Street, London SW1P 4PX
Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 10 am – 5.30 pm
The gallery is situated just behind Tate Britain in Westminster. It is approximately a two-minute walk from Pimlico Tube Station
Instagram feed @kimberleygundle
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