Amartey Golding first came to Tashkeel when he was commissioned to create the giant drawings on our skateboard ramp in January 2012, and we were delighted to be able to invite him back as the first artist on our newly-established 'guest artist' programme in September of the same year.

On residency, Golding explored extensively the range of possibilities offered by different mediums and it has been exciting to follow Golding on his journey through diverse processes, using the facilities we have here at Tashkeel to their fullest. A period of both discovery and development is the target for the residency programme and for Golding in particular, who never formally trained in fine art, it was an invaluable time for contemplation and the opportunity to realise the complexities of his own visual language. In particular, Golding found his voice through the dramatic and detailed application of dry point. The printing process suits his pace and subject matter and one that he has continued to explore. Through the medium’s dramatic duotone, dark characters and playful narratives bridging cultures from African to Japanese and eras, from Ancient Greek to pop culture, the artist has started a journey through his own rich imagination.