Artist Spotlight: Mark Millsted for Gilbanks

Navigating Uncertainty by Mark Millsted

As part of our ongoing collaboration with Gilbanks, Buchanan Art is proud to present three large-scale works by British artist Mark Millsted, a painter whose process is as raw and unfiltered as the work itself.

Mark approaches each canvas without preparatory studies, instead engaging directly with the materials in a way that embraces uncertainty. “Doubt is a companion throughout my art process,” he explains. “It becomes an arbiter between creating the new out of the old where reflection and change are the only constant.” This openness to flux and failure is key to his practice, pushing the work to the point of collapse and allowing intuition to take over.

In a world often obsessed with polish and perfection, Mark seeks something more alive: energy captured in the moment of decision. His paintings resist easy harmony or tidy resolution. When a composition feels too complete, he’ll often rework it; not to break it, but to reintroduce tension and immediacy. It’s in this active space that his work invites the viewer in.

There’s a physicality to his process that’s hard to ignore. He’s not making emotionally expressive art in the obvious sense, yet emotion is embedded in every mark, in the rhythm of movement and material. “The physical involvement is very crucial to this indeterminate expression,” he says.

Mark’s pieces for Gilbanks reflect this dynamic approach. Created specifically for the space, they offer a counterbalance to the refined aesthetic of the interiors, a reminder that creativity thrives in contrast, and that meaningful work doesn’t come from certainty, but from the courage to stay with the unknown.

At Buchanan Art, we’re committed to celebrating artists like Mark, those who push boundaries, invite reflection, and challenge what art can be in both public and private spaces.

We’re incredibly excited to see these powerful works installed and to experience the finished Gilbanks project in full. It’s a privilege to be part of a collaboration where artists like Mark can integrate bold, thoughtful creativity into a business environment; bringing depth, energy, and presence to the spaces where people work and connect every day.