Blind Portsmouth artist reveals how art saved his life in new exhibition at Aspex Gallery

Journey by Dots features the Portsmouth artist’s most ambitious collection of work to date, at Aspex Gallery in Gunwharf Quays from April 8 to June 26.

As a child in the 1980s Clarke, now living in North End, remembers first visiting Aspex at its original location in Art Space Portsmouth on Brougham Road, for a school trip with Cottage Grove School.

In the years that followed he would return to Aspex on a number of occasions, while his brother played in the neighbouring playground, and it’s these visits that Reynolds says changed his life.

Clarke said: ‘Aspex saved my life. It truly has. I don’t think people realise, in my estate, 80 per cent of people who grew up there are addicts, in jail or dead. I am not one of them. What more can you say?

‘Art is my light as my world is getting darker.’

Now coming full circle the artist, who is registered blind, has created a body of work, which takes us on a journey through his life so far and shares his hopes and dreams for the future.

Clarke lost the sight in his right eye at six years old and was later diagnosed with the degenerative condition retinitis pigmentosa.

Navigating the world with deteriorating vision, he left his job as a professional model maker and made the surprising choice to pursue a career as a visual artist.

He has since become one of the most prolific artists in the city, working with schools, community groups and partners across Portsmouth including Victorious Festival and Portsmouth Creates.

Clarke aims for his work to be educational and tactile – actively encouraging people to touch his art.

In Journey by Dots Reynolds uses his distinctive style of colourful braille lettering to map out three significant routes on his journey to becoming an artist – visiting Aspex as a child, travelling to university to train in model-making, and returning to the gallery on the bus from Leigh Park as an adult.

The show also reveals Reynolds’ infectious energy and ambition through a collection of prophesying tactile paving slabs, predicting Clarke’s future achievements winning the Turner Prize and appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.