This episode we are joined by artist, performer, filmmaker, sculptor and general arts polymath Hetain Patel to talk about his time in Notts, his work, superheroes, nationalism and quite a lot more...
Hetain Patel is an English visual artist specialising in performance, sculpture, video and photography. Born and brought up in Bolton, his work is influenced by identity, his family's Indian heritage and mainstream Western pop culture.
He first came to Nottingham in 2000 as a Fine Art student and spent more than a decade living and working here before spreading his wings; exhibiting in Norway, India, Belgium and more.
Notable works from him include 2014’s American Boy where he showcased a range of influences from mainstream American movies, swirling together snippets of Bruce Lee, Batman, Gladiator, American Psycho and much more into a piece reflecting on his own identity. Then for 2015’s The Jump he dressed as Spiderman and recreated a scene from his childhood home wearing a very special handmade suit.
Hetain is back in Nottingham with his latest work Mathroo Basha, performing at Lakeside Arts on Saturday 1 November as part of Nottdance festival 2025.
This interview took place over Zoom in September 2025.
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