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Series 5 Episode 6: John Costi
Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of topics some people might find triggering including suicide, and rape.
Art Cast is a podcast series of informal discussions with professional artists and designers, presented by Matt Gee, Programme Area Manager of Fine Art, joined by students from Morley College London – Chelsea Centre.
In this episode we are joined by John Costi, a multidisciplinary artist whose life and work epitomises resilience, creativity, and community engagement. Born in 1987 and raised in London, John draws upon his Cypriot and Irish heritage to inform his art, which spans sculpture, installation, painting, and performance. His work critically examines themes of upbringing, class, and masculinity, often inviting audiences to become active participants in the artistic experience.
John’s journey into the art world is both profound and inspiring. While serving a 6 year sentence at HM Young Offender Institution Feltham, he encountered Koestler Arts—the UK’s leading prison arts charity. This engagement marked the beginning of a transformative path: from a participant in prison art programs to a mentee, scholar, arts worker, judge, and eventually, co-curator of Koestler Arts’ annual exhibition at the Southbank Centre last December, which I saw and was absolutely fantastic.
In 2022, John earned an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins and was selected for the South London Gallery’s post-graduate residency program. He now operates from his studio on his Residency at Somerset House, continuing to create art that challenges hierarchies of art experience and fosters community dialogue.
The South London Gallery stated on Costi’s work; Costi’s work is rooted in healing and transformation. Using play and conversation to create artworks that bring people together and form social connections, he often takes found objects to create sculptures and installations, a practice he refers to as ‘Culture-Mating’. He uses spoken word in his practice, and also creates characters and environments that draw on his personal heritage and experiences growing up to celebrate London’s traditions and histories
Costi also heads crime diversion groups in probations and prisons.
You can learn more about his work at www.johncostiart.com