'Art keeps me sane,' says Charles Bronson, Britain's most violent prisoner

 
ONE TIME USE p36 Charles Bronson, Violent prisoner 02 APR 2004 Mandatory Credit: Photo by ROBIN BELL / Rex Features
Rex
23 November 2012

Paintings by Charles Bronson go on show in London this weekend — as the man dubbed Britain’s most violent prisoner claims art helps to keep him sane.

Bronson, 59, said drawing helps him to survive life in jail where he has spent most of the past four decades for crimes including armed robbery and violence, with further offences committed inside.

“My art has been my saviour. When I draw I am not in a prison cell. I am somewhere else,” he said in a statement through the exhibition curator James Elphick, who has visited him at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.

“My art hasn’t changed me. I have matured, grown and calmed down by my own means as I have aged,” added Bronson. “I’m no longer the angry, explosive person I was but my art does keep me sane. It takes me out of my prison.”

Bronson took up art in a serious way about a decade ago, has won awards from the Koestler Trust which works with inmates, and published a book, titled Con Artist. His work in pencil and pen is going on show from tomorrow at the Apiary Studios in Hackney in the third Modern Panic exhibition of spectacular and weird art.

Other work includes live body art, insect flower sculptures, fantasy illustration and taxidermy. Coinciding with the show, a new book, Born Again Artist, including some of his work, is being published in a limited edition of 400.

In the introduction, Bronson says it is “a bloody honour and a massive privilege” to be accepted as an artist.

He adds: “I’m actually getting better. My mind’s alive, I feel human. I feel a sense of worth... I’m almost an angel compared to the old me.”

Modern Panic III opens to the public tomorrow and runs until December 2.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in