Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee is this year's Platform Bursary artist.

Platform bursaries are aimed at emerging visual artists or established artists interested in exploring new ways of working in a site responsive/temporary/outdoor context. This year’s Bursary Partner is Portland Museum.

Christopher Lee is a practicing contemporary artist based in Weymouth, Dorset. He works mainly in sculpture and installation, and has been working creatively with Portland Museum on their National Lottery-funded project to record finds from the shipwreck of the East India Company vessel, the Earl of Abergavenny, which sank in Weymouth bay in 1805.

“I have tended to repurpose materials of little value or substance things with a view to elevating their status and testing their poetic potential against weightier themes. The outcome can be a playful experience aiming for elements of humour and wonder.”

Through the Platform Bursary programme with b-side and Portland museum I am looking forward to developing my practice through involving elements of community engagement and co-creation, as well has developing aspects of my practice associated with making. I am very excited by the opportunity to learn about museum archival practice, and to create work that is informed by the important archaeological finds and genuine pieces of history that comprise the finds from the Earl of Abergavenny.

Christopher Lee

For b-side Festival 2022

Since his appointment Christopher has been undertaking research into the circumstances of the shipwreck and delving into the existing digital archives, whilst also learning about the processes being undertaken to record the many fascinating finds. He hopes to expand his artistic practice through this project by bringing in elements of community engagement and co-creation of artworks with the community, whilst responding creatively to the finds and taking the fantastic opportunity to be up close to genuine artefacts of social importance.