20.08.26

Interview with Katherine Griffin – our Amaze Story Trail bench artist

This autumn, Brighton & Hove will become home to The Story Trail, a free, family-friendly art trail created by Amaze in partnership with Wild in Art. As proud sponsors of the trail, we’re delighted to be working with Brighton-based artist Katherine Griffin, who has created our colourful BookBench, Birds and Other Stories.

Ahead of the trail opening, we spoke to Katherine about the inspiration behind her design, her connection to Brighton and its communities, and how the work of Amaze and Renaissance Legal helped shape her approach. She also shares more about the hidden literary references waiting to be discovered within the artwork.

How would you describe what you do and what drives you as an artist?

I love a highly saturated pallet and use a mixture of experimental marks and intense detail to create other worldly dreamscapes that explore interplay of natural forms with human-made objects. As well as works on canvas and paper I also create large scale murals that’s explore nature through colour and juxtapose detail figuration with flat silhouettes. I’ve been honoured to make works for Glastonbury festival highlighting Green politics that feature on the façade of the Park Stage and other places around the site.

You trained at the Slade School of Fine Art and won the Life Drawing Prize in 2000 – how has your practice evolved since then, and what does your work look like today?

When I was studying at the Slade I was predominately a figurative painter. I had the honour of studying under Jenny Saville and was awarded a prize for life drawing by the legendary Paula Rego. My work explored themes of womanhood that were quite raw and emotional. I started using Fluro paints at Art school to make works for festivals and that has grown with me alongside my personal works. I moved into works that use more landscape-based compositions and intensely bright colours.

You’re based in Brighton – how much does the city and its community feed into your work?

As well as works on canvas and paper I also make large scale murals. I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing communities in Brighton making work that reflects and connects with local areas. I painted a large mural for the Happy Mountain Community on the gable of a house in Coombe Road to celebrate the area and it’s focus on community gardening and planting pollinators to attract more bees. I painted a portrait of a local cat (name Freddie Mercury) as a David Bowie space head mural in Hanover that excitedly has now become a Pokémon Go stop. I love painting around the City and meeting people in various areas. For this book bench I have included some iconic Brighton imagery such as the Duke of York legs, the carousel and a stick of Brighton rock. This is the first time I have really added these elements and I loved playing with this imagery alongside animals and nature.

You’ve worked on Wild in Art charity trails before. What drew you to getting involved in the Amaze Story Trail, and what does Amaze’s work mean to you personally?

I am an Artist and Art Educator and have worked with many students who have SEN. I have seen how valuable and helpful the right support can be to the students and their families. It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to support this excellent charity. I have been involved in raising funds for the Learner trail also and have set up an event selling fidget toys made by 13-year-old students. It was a huge success and was wonderful to be able to support their hard works and efforts. The Wild in Art trails are a really brilliant way to bring communities together both in person and online. I love that people can sit on the book benches and have conversations with each other. Going out spotting the sculptures around the City brings about so many lovely chats with people who are doing the same things that you might not otherwise have a chance to connect with. I love seeing all the photos of people online with the various sculptures and how creative they can be with their poses and posts.

When you were first told you’d be working with the Renaissance Group on their bench, what was your initial reaction – and what did you want to find out about them?

I was really excited to be partnered with Renaissance Legal and the wider group. I had seen the Instagram post with Philip Warford and was really inspired by the work they do hearing his story and how community driven they are ad a firm. I felt really aligned with their ethos. My Dad worked as a lawyer that specialised in Legal Aid and wrote papers for Amnesty International. I had some experience clerking in courts, working on reception at a law firm and filing. I love that Renaissance Legal gives a voice to families and works alongside Amaze to support vulnerable families. I also saw that Renaissance Legal wanted a bench that bought a fun element and connection to people – bringing back that childlike play. I have made my bench a kind of game and hope people will spend time trying to figure out the literary titles I have hidden in the images so I was really pleased and excited that the Renaissance team chose my bench based on elevating the power of the story and the exploration it can bring.

How did you approach the brief? What questions did you ask, and what did you want to understand about the families the Renaissance team support with before you put pencil to paper?

Renaissance Legal provide essential legal support for vulnerable families, navigating the complex challenges they face. This is invaluable as the legal system can be overwhelming and complicated. There are things we don’t even want to consider in this life like not being able to be around to care for those family members that rely on us. Setting things up so your family get the best start and help in life can feel daunting and it’s wonderful to have supportive and caring professionals at hand. I am thrilled to be able to support the Renaissance Group of companies in the small way of creating some artwork and being partnered with them for this amazing cause.

Can you walk us through the concept behind the bench design? What story is it telling, and why did you choose to tell it this way?

I thought a lot about the sculpture being a book and about how Amaze supported communities. I wanted to make something bright, colourful and fun with an interactive element. I wanted to include some iconic Brighton imagery like the Duke of York legs, the carousel and a classic stick of seaside rock. I am really partial to painting birds, I find them fascinating and so there is a strong ornithological element to my design. I have named it ‘Birds and Other Stories’ after Daphne du Maurier’s book of short stories and there are 13 literary titles hidden in the imagery.

Colour and detail are central to your practice – how did you use them here, and what do you want people to feel when they first encounter the bench?

I wanted to use joyful bright colours as a base for the bench and settled on blending blues, purples, pinks and oranges as the first thing I did. I was hoping the colours would give a high energy feel to the bench and that people would enjoy looking at the tapestry of imagery on there. My hope was that I would create exciting imagery and that would work on various levels. People can spot Brighton icons, things from the seaside and various birds. For the readers out there, I have made a game that is a kind of treasure hunt to find the 13 literary titles. These are a mixture of well-known classics, some newer titles and some books with a cult following – they are heavily of the ornithological persuasion – hence the title ‘Birds and Other Stories’. I thought if they weren’t all too obvious people may also enjoy googling new titles and finding some books that perhaps they haven’t read yet. I have set it up so the first person to massage me on Instagram or through my website will win a fine art print from my collection.

The Renaissance Group’s clients include people with disabilities or vulnerabilities, children with learning disabilities, and families who have often navigated complex and challenging systems. Did that shape the imagery or approach you took?

I aimed to make the work as joyful and colourful as possible. Hopefully it can offer a little moment of escapism and hopefully families will be enjoying spotting things together.

Amaze supports families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Sussex. How does it feel to be making something that will directly serve that community?

It feels really special to be able to support families from this community and to be able to do it through art is very heart warming and a great honour. What I love about art is that there is something for everyone and it’s really exciting that this trial will bring just that.

What do you hope children, families and visitors take away from encountering the bench on the trail?

I am inspired by the work of Kit Williams and how he created detailed imagery that persuaded people to look and look and look again. He created books with nis paintings that were real life treasure hunts and I loved that interactivity. I hope that visitors will enjoy the colours, looking and finding things or guessing the book titles. I have made it open so the bench can be enjoyed the way the viewer would like to experience it best and this may differ from person to person.

Katherine’s BookBench brings together art, storytelling and some familiar Brighton landmarks, with plenty of details for children, families and visitors to discover along the way. With 13 literary titles hidden within the design, Birds and Other Stories has been created to encourage people to stop, look a little closer and enjoy the artwork in their own way.

More about The Story Trail

The Story Trail opens across Brighton & Hove on 12 September 2026, with more than 30 BookBenches to discover across the city. The free trail supports Amaze and its work with families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across Sussex. We’re proud to be part of a project that brings people together through creativity, storytelling and community.

To find out more about Amaze and The Story Trail, explore the map, and plan your visit, head to The Story Trail.

Follow Katherine on Instagram.