Clay Sinclair
Clay Sinclair is a New Zealand-born, UK-based artist whose path to the canvas was anything but traditional. Originally a civil engineer, Sinclair left the security of his career in 2004 to pursue art full-time, a move prompted by a "eureka moment" at Hundertwasser's Kunst Haus in Vienna. He spent years refining his singular, subversive technique: reverse painting on Perspex. By applying acrylics to the back of transparent sheets, Sinclair works in a literal mirror image—painting foreground details first and background layers last—resulting in a signature high-gloss finish that feels hyper-modern.
Sinclair’s work is rooted in community and social activism. In 2016, he opened his own gallery, Art of Clay, on the Stroud High Street, which became a local cultural hub. It was here that he famously founded The People’s Republic of Stroud—a creative, tongue-in-cheek "revolution" and call for unity following the Brexit vote. What began as a local flag design evolved into a town-wide movement of inclusivity, with the "Republic’s" headquarters located within his gallery until 2020.
Today, Sinclair continues to live and work in Stroud, creating art that is as intellectually sharp as it is visually arresting. His work is held in private and public collections worldwide.
