'Embracing the Pixel': Inspire Keynote with Jason Wilsher-Mills

We're very excited for the third Inspire keynote in our Teach Inspire Create 2021 programme: 'Embracing the Pixel' from disabled digital artist, Jason Wilsher-Mills, on Friday 30 April at 2pm.

Born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Jason studied Fine Art and initially specialised in traditional painting techniques. In recent years, he has moved away from the more traditional artistic mediums and adopted digital painting methods, using technology such as iPad and Wacom tablets to assist his practice. His use of such technologies was born from a need for convenience and the challenges presented by the physical limitations of his disability. Referring to himself as a '"reluctant digital artist", he uses tablets and other digital tools to produce large-scale, detailed paintings and sculptures.

Although the use of technology initially felt challenging and unfamiliar, Jason has come to fully embrace the possibilities these tools provide when creating art and expanding his work from purely 2D paintings. As an early adopter of technology in art, embracing the pixel has given Jason the freedom to produce work in all mediums and on any scale. His large colourful sculptures, for example, draw on an augmented sense of reality and experience, and combine both art and technology.

Jason is driven by creating work that tells the stories of the disabled communities he works with across the UK. As well as developing his own artistic practice, he has worked on a number of community projects, producing work in collaboration with thousands of children and adults around the country.

In his inspire keynote for Teach Inspire Create 2021, he will discuss his journey to embracing the pixel and the challenges he has faced as a working-class disabled artist, from attending a Special Educational Needs school and acquiring a formal arts school education, to fulfilling a teaching career. He will reveal how each stage of this journey ultimately enabled him to become the successful digital and tech artist he is today.

Participants will be able to download Jason’s gallery and catalogue of artworks from his augmented reality app Jason Residential. They will also be able to interact with his artwork in 3 dimensions and access his cinema space, where they can view the films he has made about his projects. The app is free to download from the app store and Google Play.

We can’t wait to find out more about Jason’s journey and we hope you will be able to join us.

The session will be held on Zoom and will consist of a 30-minute talk followed by a 15-minute Q&A. All delegates must book a place to attend. Booking in advance is also highly recommended.