Michael Craig-Martin (b. 1941) is one of the most influential artists of his generation. Known for his instantly recognisable images that transform everyday objects – shoes, mobile phones, safety pins – into bold, pioneering artworks. With his signature colour palette and striking graphic lines, he creates works that challenge notions of image, authorship and representation. Set within the historic and peaceful surroundings of Russell Square, these monumental sculptures cleverly play with sense of scale and perception, prompting the viewer to pause and reconsider the smaller details of everyday life.

Three sculptures – Umbrella (magenta), 2024, Headphones (blue), 2020 and Bright Idea, 2016 – temporarily installed in the heart of Russell Square, invite visitors to slow down, reflect, and experience the everyday with renewed curiosity and imagination.

Craig-Martin’s sculptures are drawings in space, they are flat and read pictorially. They consist simply of coloured lines – indeed if viewed from the side, their image disappears completely. They are also transparent, becoming intimately engaged with their immediate surroundings. A bright pink umbrella, a giant pair of headphones and a glowing yellow light bulb create a surreal, yet playful space. The works are grounded yet seem weightless, merging the ordinary with the extraordinary, subtly altering the landscape of the square.

Born in Dublin in 1941, Craig-Martin grew up and was educated in the United States, studying Fine Art at Yale University before settling in the UK in 1966. He gained early recognition with his seminal work, An Oak Tree (1973), and has since become one of the most acclaimed British artists working today. His work has been exhibited extensively internationally, with major exhibitions at Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria; Seoul Arts Center, Korea and most recently at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. In 2016, he was knighted for his services to the arts. He was also a hugely influential teacher in the 1980s and 90s. Working at Goldsmiths, he taught many of the key figures of the Young British Artists (YBA’s), such as Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas and Rachel Whiteread.

Presented by the Commissioners of Russell Square in partnership with Bloomsbury Festival, The Bedford Estates, Gagosian and the Henry Moore Foundation.
Curator of Russell Square Sculpture Programme: Joe Duggan.

Artwork © Michael Craig-Martin. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. Courtesy Gagosian