Is this painting who we now are? The identity grapplings of mystic artist Ben Edge

<p>Vikings, miners, refugees, enslavers and good old Albion himself … Ben Edge reveals how his dynamic new understanding of Britain today was triggered by seeing a procession of druids march past a KFC</p><p>A toy poodle called Lunar arrives at the door of Ben Edge’s studio in a furry blur of excitement. There’s also a full-size fibreglass horse, already halfway through the door. It’s being ridden by a mannequin who is wearing a garland of artificial flowers and, under that, a shirt patterned with green men, Uffington White Horse references and oak leaves. It’s identical to the one worn by the living, breathing artist standing next to me.</p><p>A highlight of Edge’s upcoming exhibition at London’s Fitzrovia Chapel, the sculpture is titled Where Must We Go in Search of Our Better Selves. It’s a self-portrait like no other, riffing on the magnificent equestrian monuments of the Renaissance, and honouring the Garland King, a figure from the recesses of British folklore, who each May rides through the Derbyshire village of Castleton. “The Garland King has become a symbol for me,” Edge says. “I see it as representing a process of finding your own nature, of going inward.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/oct/28/painting-who-we-now-identity-albion-vikings-miners-druids-ben-edge">Continue reading...</a>