Earlier this week, we welcomed London-based artist Gaia Ozwyn for an immersive four-week residency at G.A.S. Lagos. Working across painting and sculpture, her multidisciplinary practice explores materiality, belonging, and ‘otherness’ by blending tactile and visual contrasts. Through her work, she navigates an imagined ‘borderland’ between states of being, challenging conventional ideas of solitude, connection, and identity.
During her residency, Gaia plans to immerse herself in Lagos' cultural landscape, researching the use of natural pigments and clay in historical and contemporary Nigerian art. She looks forward to visiting museums, galleries, and artist studios while exploring the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive to deepen her understanding of local artistic traditions. Eager to develop her sculpting skills, she hopes to learn from local workshops and experiment with integrating clay-based elements into her painting practice. She also intends to create small paintings and sculptures inspired by her research. Additionally, Gaia is excited to visit the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikiṣẹ, where she plans to experiment with the kiln and explore how the natural environment influences her creative process. Seeing a strong connection between her work and the landscape, she looks forward to discovering how this setting shapes her approach to painting.
Close up details of 'Won’t You Join me in My Loneliness?' (2024), 190 x 160cm, Oil and Concrete on Linen. Image courtesy of Gaia Ozwyn.
What is the current focus of your creative practice?
My work occupies an imagined, ethereal ‘borderland’ between multiple states of being, where mutual exclusion does not apply. I am interested in interrogating ideas of solitude and belonging and how we construct false dichotomies. In a binary system designed to ‘compartmentalize to survive,’ what does it mean to be the theoretical 0.5—to not fit neatly? I sculpt and incorporate concrete into my paintings to challenge notions of belonging, question beauty and the sublime, and address an urgent need to intervene. I foster dialogue between the concrete and the ephemeral, inviting observers into a realm where the tactile and conceptual converge.
Private Insurrection, Oil and Concrete on Linen, 190 x 160cm. Image courtesy of Shayla Marshall.
What drew you to apply for this residency and how do you think it will inform your wider practice?
The G.A.S. Foundation residency offers an unparalleled opportunity for artistic growth and the cross-pollination of ideas through community. Previous residents highly recommended the experience, and the collaboration between the foundation and RCA BLK felt like a dream come true. The sense of home I found within the RCA BLK community was pivotal in shaping my painting practice at the Royal College of Art. Engaging with the broader network of students and alumni allowed me to immerse myself in a creative culture that challenges conventional norms.
This residency feels like a natural progression for my practice, offering a chance to learn from and share with my peers. It presents an opportunity for research, both through immersion in Nigerian culture to deepen my understanding of its historical and contemporary art contexts and in a more academic sense, especially with access to the G.A.S. Foundation library. I hope to gain a clearer understanding of the dialogue my work engages in across cultural boundaries. My practice frequently explores themes of communication and isolation, and I am particularly interested in how we can weave connections between seemingly disparate ideas to create meaning.
Incantations to a Vague Borderland (2024), 200cm x 400cm, Oil and Concrete on Linen. Image courtesy of Gaia Ozwyn.
Can you give us an insight into how you hope to use the opportunity?
I would like to use this opportunity to immerse myself in Lagos' culture, visiting artists, galleries, and art institutions. I have been working with clay for some time, often creating small sculptures to explore spatial composition in my paintings. I hope to dedicate some of my time at the residency to experiment with some clay-based work, alongside my painting practice.
ABOUT GAIA OZWYN
Gaia Ozwyn is a London-based contemporary artist whose unique practice weaves together the tactile and visual contrast between concrete sculpture and painterly technique, to explore themes of loneliness and ‘othering’. Born in 1991 to a Caribbean-British family, Ozwyn's multifaceted identity deeply informs her work, prompting a nuanced exploration of belonging and 'otherness.' Initially pursuing a career in the sciences, Ozwyn received training as a biomedical scientist and later studied Medicine, dedicating several years to serving as a Doctor in the NHS. Ozwyn pivoted to a full-time painting practice and has since completed a painting MA at the Royal College of Art, supported by the Sir Frank Bowling Scholarship. Ozwyn delves into the realm of the imagined and sublime, creating spaces where solitude and belonging coexist, challenging binary perceptions. Her work stands as a dialogue between solidity and transience, engaging the observer in a tactile and contemplative experience.
Gaia's residency is generously supported by the Royal College of Art Association of Black Students, Alumni & Friends (RCA BLK).
