Giles Whitehead

Born in 1970, Giles Whitehead grew up on a farm in Tenterden, Kent. The farm and the countryside have always influenced his work, as a child he spent many hours watching his dad turn table legs or spoons on an old Victorian lathe. This initiated Giles’ passion for working with wood, and he would often be found sketching around the farm. Giles’ interest in art continued through school and to further education when he studied at The Kent Institute of Art and Design.

He spent twenty years as a teacher and winning numerous awards for his innovative techniques. He now works full time as an artist, regularly exhibiting his paintings and sculptures around Kent. His work often has a sense of narrative and alludes to history.

“I was born into a musical household; everyone played something. My dad, who was a farmer, had studied at the Guildhall School of Music – not sure how good they are at teaching farming, but he turned out quite well at playing cello. He had an antique cello that had notably fallen off a stagecoach at some point in its life and my dad would occasionally have to glue it back together. He practised in the cowshed, because of the good acoustics and beneficial effects on the wellbeing of the cows.

As a child, string quartets in the farmhouse were common and attending orchestral concerts was a fairly regular event. These concerts were often held in churches, and so Music@Malling feels familiar and provides that warm feeling of going home to memories of childhood.

Despite all those art college lessons of life drawing and trying to get forms and proportions right, I’ve since learned to worry less about such things. When drawing at Music@Malling, I find I often achieve the best results when I let go and allow my fingers to be swept along by the moods and rhythms of the music.

I feel honoured to been given the title of ‘Artist in Residence’ to this incredible event. Every time I step into a concert, I am astounded by the skill of the musicians, the wonderful music and the beautiful surroundings.  Thank you to Tom Kemp for providing this honour and for his dedication to making this great experience an annual event.”