Sleaford artist recognised for funny and political work in King’s Birthday Honours

Jason Wilsher-Mills, who has used a wheelchair since suffering chicken pox as a child, creates colourful and psychedelic sculptures with a serious message.

His current Changing Places work is a huge inflatable sculpture which people can walk in through the bottom, highlighting the lack of suitable toilets for people with disabilities.

“My work’s like a Trojan Horse – it looks fun and then I release my activist soldiers,” the 56-year-old artist told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“I get people laughing, and they’re quite emotional by the end of the experience. That’s how you change lives.”

The Wakefield-born artist, who now lives in Sleaford, also explores virtual reality and digital painting to put his point across.

He has worked on Changing Places in collaboration with North Lincolnshire campaigner Lorna Fillingham.

“It isn’t good enough that she should have to change her daughter on the floor of a mucky toilet – this is the 21st century,” he said.

“People will laugh as they walk between the legs of this 30 foot-long person, but there’s some surprises to make them think.

“I want my art to be humorous and accessible. Nobody wants to think about these issues, but we all wee and poo!

“I’m honoured to have an MBE, but I’m going to use the platform to draw attention to how disgraceful cuts affecting disabled people are. We’re not second class citizens.”

Jason currently has exhibitions in San Francisco and Wakefield, and has contributed to this year’s Blackpool Illuminations.

Here is the full list of Lincolnshire recipients in the King’s Birthday Honours:

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Catherine Sian Paine. Chief Executive, REAch2 Academy Trust. For services to Education.

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Paul Boucher. Director, Lincolnshire Traveller Initiative. For services to the Traveller Community in Lincolnshire. (Lincoln, Lincolnshire)

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Sybille Anne Graham. Technical Lead, HM Revenue and Customs. For Public Service. (Spalding, Lincolnshire)

Eleanor Grace Hutton. Manager, Explorosity Education, Lincolnshire. For services to Early Years Provision. (Louth, Lincolnshire)

Jason Wilsher-Mills. Artist. For services to the Arts and Disability. (Sleaford, Lincolnshire)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Helen Keneally. Children Centre Manager, North Lincolnshire Council. For services to the community in Lincolnshire. (Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire)

Dr Sheila May Halliday-Pegg. For services to the community in Bourne, Lincolnshire. (Stamford, Rutland)