MARKING THE 70th anniversary of his arrival in London from British Guiana (now Guyana), this week will see CIRCA present the first digital artwork by modern master, Sir Frank Bowling OBE RA.

CIRCA, The Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Arts, are set to present ‘Arrival’ from May 4 – June 30, on their global platform of billboards including London’s Piccadilly Lights and in Berlin, Mlian, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tokyo.

‘Arrival’ also coincides with The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and the 75th anniversary of Windrush, respectively.

Bowling landed in the UK in May 1953.

In his own words, he reflected: “The moment I arrived in London, I knew I was home.. My uncle met me at Waterloo, and we travelled by Tube to Finchley Road.

“I wasn’t even listening to what he was saying, I was looking round. It was summertime, and the whole of London town was still into the Coronation. And I went all over London – even up past Piccadilly Circus – travelling on the buses, on the train. It was amazing.”

One of the world’s greatest living abstract painters, Bowling has spent the last six decades of his career dedicated to the exploration of paint and colour, creating a powerful and original style that has influenced the art historical canon.

Marking the first time that the artist’s work has been shown in a digital context, ‘Arrival’ tells the story of his journey from British Guiana to the UK in 1953.

Through crossfading two works from his iconic ‘Map Paintings’ series – Texas Louise (1971) and Australia to Africa (1969-70) – Bowling has created his first digital canvas featuring a cascade of colour.

“The subject of my art is paint—the way that colour washes, spreads, bleeds, and the way that paint-colour emits light,” Bowling enthused.

“After many decades working on canvas, it was a pleasure to collaborate with CIRCA in creating my first digital artwork. It shows two of my Map Paintings flowing together. It’s a whole world thing – 70 years in the making.”

Bowling travelled to the UK at the age of 19 in May 1953, arriving in London during the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June. The presentation of Arrival on London’s Piccadilly Lights coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving on 22 June.

The ship brought a large group of Caribbean people to the UK to help rebuild Britain after WWII, with thousands more following in the decades thereafter – a moment which shaped the social and cultural fabric of modern Britain.

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor of Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “Sir Frank Bowling is a giant of British art, so it is fitting that his work will be featured at scale on Piccadilly Lights to mark 70 years since his arrival in London from Guyana.

Immigration has played a central role in making London what it is today and we are immensely proud to be one of the most international cities on the planet, continuing to welcome people from around the world who now call London home.”

In light of the CIRCA 20:23 manifesto: ‘Hope: The Art of Reading What Is Not Yet Written’, Arrival provides a poignant opportunity for global audiences to reflect on the positive societal impact of migration, whilst the UK looks ahead and considers the nation it hopes to become.

Throughout the exhibition, CIRCA will amplify the Black Cultural Archives – the home of Black British history which has dedicated over 40 years to celebrating the contributions of African and Caribbean people in the UK.

Lisa Anderson, Managing Director, Black Cultural Archives, said: “For 40 years, Black Cultural Archives has been the home of Black British history.

“We are delighted to partner with CIRCA to honour, empower and give a platform to the memories of the Windrush Generation, and their families, on this 75th anniversary year.

“Similar to Sir Frank Bowling, their contributions helped to rebuild this nation and bring energy, culture and traditions that forged a new Britain.”