Charles Avery (artist)

Charles Avery (born 1973 in Oban, Scotland) is a Scottish artist known for his elaborate and philosophical artistic project, The Islanders. This ongoing project, which began in 2004, imagines an island that exists as a detailed, complex, and self-contained world.

Avery's work spans a variety of media including drawing, sculpture, text, and installation. He creates a rich narrative through the diverse inhabitants, landscapes, customs, and philosophical concepts of The Islanders. These elements are often presented in a deadpan and humorous style, prompting contemplation about themes such as truth, perception, belief systems, and the human condition.

While ostensibly whimsical, Avery's work engages with complex philosophical ideas drawn from thinkers like Deleuze and Guattari. The fictional island serves as a platform to explore and question established notions of reality, knowledge, and the construction of meaning.

Avery has exhibited internationally at venues including the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London; and the Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean (Mudam), Luxembourg. He represented Scotland at the 2007 Venice Biennale. His work is held in several major public and private collections.