Hetain Patel is an artist who makes photographs, videos, sculptures usually for galleries and theatres. His work has also appeared on the web, on television, in print, in housing estates, and behind toilet doors. Some of his works are in public and private collections in the U.K, China, India and U.S.A.
In recent years, he has done Bruce Lee impersonations on stage at the Royal Opera House, completed commissions for Tate Modern and Southbank Centre, London, made a working class Transformer robot from an old Ford Fiesta (with his dad), designed part of a mini golf course for the Venice Biennale, toured his live performance, TEN, internationally (in English and French), made his first dance company work for Candoco, and was invited to do a TED talk which has since had over two million hits.
He is interested in connecting marginalized identities with the mainstream in an effort to destabilize notions of authenticity and promote personal freedom. With an autobiographical starting point he uses humor and the languages of popular culture to highlight familiarity within the exotic, recognition within the unknown. In his work this often involves exploring fantasy through a DIY domestic lens.
He often work collaboratively, with artists across disciplines, and with family members and non professionals. He enjoys working across multiple languages, culturally and artistically.
In our interview, we discuss language, identities, stereotypes and his background as an artist among other things. Take a listen here or below.
