Chatterbox Tile Installation
This project was a volunteering job to help create a public installation that highlights the history of Portsmouth. The Illustrators who volunteered chose a specific topic and then created artwork that would be displayed on rotating tiles. My chosen topic was "Famous Faces" highlighting all of the famous people who'd gone to achieve big things. I chose people who are all associated with Portsmouth and/or its University because I wanted to inspire people to do big things, knowing that their heroes grew up in the same city. I found a huge range of people both male and female, different races and ethnicities. Portsmouth is full of people who will keep inspiring for years to come.
Hertha Ayrton.
Born in Portsmouth in 1854, Hertha Ayrton was the first woman to win the Royal Society’s Hughes Medal for her work as a Physicist and Mathematician. She was also prominent in the Suffragettes, working closely with the Pankhurst’s.
Charles Dickens.
Born in what is now Commercial Road in 1812, Dickens is best known for writing classics such as ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘Nicholas Nickelby’.
Dr. Nira Chamberlain.
Dr. Chamberlain graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2013 with a PHD in Mathematics. In 2018 he was named as one of the 5 most influential black persons in the country, and was the first Mathematician of African or African-Caribbean heritage to make it onto the top 100 Britain’s most influential people list.
Freda Swain.
Born in Portsmouth in 1902, Swain studied at the Royal College of Music and founded the British movement in 1926 to promote the works of young musicians. She wrote over 100 songs, 2 opera, a suite for 6 trumpets, orchestral pieces, 2 string quartets and many other works.
Geeta Basra.
Born in Portsmouth in 1984, Geeta Basra is an Indian actress who has appeared in a number of Bollywood Films such as ‘Zila Ghaziabad (2013)’ and ‘Mr Joe B. Carvalho (2014)’
Grayson Perry.
Grayson Perry graduated from the University of Portsmouth (then Portsmouth Polytechnic) with a 2:1 in BA (Hons) Fine Arts in 1982. He went on to become one of the best known artists of today, naming himself the ‘Transvestite Potter’ . He won the Turner Prize in 2003 and has made a number of TV documentaries.
John Madden.
John Madden was born in Portsmouth in 1969. He is best known for directing Them Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes’, ‘Shakespeare In Love’, ‘Prime Suspect’, ‘Mrs Brown’, and ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’.
Lauren Steadman.
Lauren Steadman studied at the University of Portsmouth and still lives in Portsmouth. She was born missing her lower right arm, but went on to become a double world champion and 6 times European Champion Para-triathlete. She also won silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Murray Gold
Born in Portsmouth in 1969. Gold is a five time nominated composer for stage, film and tv. He was the Core Composer for ‘Doctor Who’ from 2005 to 2018, as well as writing music for ‘Shameless’, ‘The Second Coming’, ‘Servants’ and ‘Clocking Off’.
Neil Gaiman.
Born in Portsmouth in 1960, Neil Gaiman is best known for writing novels such as ‘Coraline’ and ‘Stardust’, as well as his cult graphic novel series ‘Sandman’. He also wrote several episodes of ‘Doctor Who’.
Roger Black MBE.
Born in Portsmouth in 1966, Roger Black was head boy at Portsmouth Grammar School from 1983-84. He won several medals in the Olympics, European Championships and Commonwealth games in Sprinting between 1986 and 1996. He also set the 400m record of 44.37 seconds in 1996.
Rudyard Kipling.
Born in India in 1865, Kipling lived at a foster home in Southsea from age 6-11. He was the first Englishman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (1907). He wrote classics such as ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Just So Stories’.
Sandi Toksvig OBE.
Sandi Toksvig is Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth. She is a Writer, Broadcaster, Actor and Producer, as well as a political activist. She Co-founded the Women’s Equality Party in 2015, is President of the Women of the Year Lunch, and was arguably the first British Celebrity to come out as lesbian in 1994.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Conan Doyle was born on Elm Grove in 1882. He is best known for being the creator of Sherlock Holmes, as well as writing a huge number of poems, plays, sport articles and novels. He was also the first goalkeeper for Portsmouth Football Club.
Sir Ben Ainslie CBE
Sir Ben Ainslie plays an important role in Portsmouth’s sailing scene as the founder of Ben Ainslie Racing. He is one of the most successful British Sailors of all time, having won 4 consecutive Olympic Gold Medals from 2000 - 2012.
Tim Peake.
Tim Peake graduated from the University of Portsmouth Flight Dynamics and Evaulation in 2006, and received an Honourary Doctorate of Science in 2016. He was the first British ESA Astronaut, 2nd Astronaut to bear the UK flag patch, 6th British person to go on board the International Space Station, and 7th British person in Space.
The first 16 Tiles in their frame.
The other four Tiles in their other frames.