A WORLD renown artist is to host an exhibit at next week's Arts by the Sea Festival to help raise awareness of mental health.

Stuart Semple, who was born in Dorset, will be partnering with Dorset Mind who aim to help visitors to speak up about their mental health and provide information to people about the services they can access in Dorset.

Stuart, who has been an ambassador for national Mind charity since 2012, is known for his provocative work, often tackling issues surrounding mass culture and its effect on our mental health.

He said: “I have supported Mind for many years, so it's great to now be supporting a local Mind in my own home town. And I know firsthand how powerful Art can be when it comes to mental health.

“It’s exciting to see Arts by The Sea making the link too. I hope Mind Matters Hub brings more awareness to the power of creativity when it comes to self-care and wellness.”

Stuart has held 15 critically acclaimed solo exhibitions internationally in Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles and Milan, having partnered with cities including Melbourne, Dublin, and Moscow as part of public art projects around happiness and inclusion.

Having featured in exhibitions alongside Andy Warhol and AI Wei Wei, Semple’s work is constantly provoking widespread discussion and examination of popular culture.

Stuart is best known for his ‘Happy Clouds’ performance, where he released clouds in the shape of smiley faces into the sky of London during the midst of the recession, in an effort to counteract the ‘doom and gloom’ of British society at the time. The work has since been repeated around the globe.

CEO of Dorset Mind Marianne Storey said: “Art can be a crucial tool for anyone suffering with a mental health problem, to help them in expressing their identities and acting as a creative method to unlock difficult emotions.

“We often work with individuals in our groups and services, supporting them in creative activities as this is a great way to promote personal wellbeing. It is a privilege to partner with such an influential artist in bringing mental health to the forefront Dorset’s arts and cultural scene, enabling us to reduce stigma and empower people to take care of their mental health, seeking help if ever they need it.”

The Arts by the Sea Festival 2019 commences on Friday September 27 for three days and is following the theme “Mind Matters”.