Nathan Anthony was Artist-in-Residence at Eltham College from 2019 to 2022. He began his residency in September 2019, but just six months later, in March 2020, the global pandemic brought the programme to an abrupt halt. In response, Eltham College extended his residency by an additional academic year, enabling him to exhibit the body of work he had begun developing in a show titled Muscled Memory, and to continue his engagement with students.
Remaining for a third year beyond the original two-year term, Nathan also curated a group exhibition at the gallery, Extrusive Thoughts, featuring works by Ian Jackson, Jack Handscombe, and himself.
We recently caught up with Nathan, who is now based in Texas, USA, following the completion of his MFA at The University of Texas at Austin.
GMG: What have you been up to since completing your residency at Eltham College?
NA: After being at Eltham, I taught part-time for a year and rented a space at Thameside Studios in Woolwich. I then went to the United States to complete an MFA at The University of Texas at Austin. I graduated in 2025 and am still based here for now, working as an art lecturer teaching classes at the same university and undertaking a ceramics residency at The Dougherty Arts Centre.
What are you currently working on in the studio?
I'm working with paper clay, a material I initially experimented with at Eltham. I am making large casts of the rubber mats that line car footwells and are designed to trap dirt. I am intrigued by the elaborate patterns on these, how ornate and decorative they are, but also how completely overlooked (we literally put our feet on them).
Nathan Anthony, Work in progress, Paper clay with mason stain. Photo: Nathan Anthony
How did your experience at Eltham College shape your studio or professional practice?
I got lucky in that because of the pandemic I ended up staying in the role for three years which gave me a lot of time to experiment, develop ideas and build a large body of work. The process of extruding clay through custom dies which I began during this time, was a tipping point that allowed me to explore abstraction and work more freely.
What was the highlight of your experience at Eltham college?
I was really happy with the work in the solo exhibition 'Muscled Memory' that I put together at the Gerald Moore Gallery. The following year I also invited two artists I had admired for a long time, Ian Jackson and Jack Handscombe to do a group exhibition 'Extrusive Thoughts'. Giving students tours of these exhibitions was rewarding, as was having friends come and visit this often overlooked part of South London.
Does teaching and working with younger students still play a significant role in your practice?
Yes. I am often amazed at the solutions to the project briefs that students come up with. They are inventive and do things in ways I would never have thought to which is inspiring. Just watching people make things, whether they are doing it right or wrong, well or not, I find energising creatively.
What do you miss most about being at Eltham College?
The amazing free lunches! And the small room with the sink, desk and old typeface in drawers, adjacent to the main artist-in-residence studio. The light and leafy view from the window was tranquil.
What will your next project or exhibition focus on?
There is a group exhibition as part of this residency towards the end of the year, but beyond that I am not sure!
We look forward to seeing your upcoming work and exhibition. Thank you.
Nathan Anthony, Calendar Object, 2025, Steel & I-Beam. Photo: Alex Boeschenstein
For more information on Nathan's work and future exhibitions, please go to his website or his Instagram.