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Multidisciplinary British artist Stuart Semple took to his Instagram Story on February 18 and shared a series of cryptic statements.
“I am deeply sorry for my actions. I totally understand that the footage from that tape which is circulating has upset a lot of you. I was young and I was nieve [naïve] when it was made, there was no social media and I never thought the world would see it. That is no excuse for my actions!" he wrote.
The statement further read:
“I can only promise I will learn and grow from it. He other well known celebrity in that tape is threatening to release it fully. If you truly care about me, I ask you not to view it if they do. If you feel upset or disappointed by the tape – I am truly sorry.”
Stuart Semple’s cryptic Instagram Story concluded by urging his followers to see “past” his “mistakes” and “support” him to continue making his “art.” He added wanting to “try my best” to “make the world better with my art.” Singing the post, “Stuart X,” Semple shared he was “trying.”
Notably, the contents of the cryptic tape mentioned by the artist remain undisclosed. However, his official website mentions a “Stuart Semple S*X TAPE” which would be “coming soon.” The description also mentions that the said tape would be released on Friday, February 28, GMT, and be available online for a week.
“He’s doing this before someone else does, to take the power back,” it states.
No other details about the tape were available at the time of writing. Meanwhile, in a follow-up post, the artist talked about taking some time off social media to deal with the “situation” and “cope with the stress.”
For the unversed, Stuart Semple is an artist and curator based in Dorset, England who practices across several disciplines including painting, film, public art, sculpture, and installation. He has been an artist for the last 25 years.
All you need to know about Stuart Semple amid his recent posts
According to his website bio, Stuart Semple was born in Dorset in 1980 and pursued Fine Art at Breton Hall in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. During his time there, he had a near-death experience that further encouraged him to become an artist. He specializes in painting, performance, internet art, and installation.
Since 2000, he has worked in the field of art and his works have been featured in over 15 solo exhibitions across the globe. These include: ‘Fake Plastic Love’, Truman Brewery, London (2007), ‘Pop Disciple’, Aus18, Milan (2008), ‘Everlasting Nothing Less’, Anna Kustera, New York (2009), ‘The Happy House’, Morton Metropolis, London (2010), ‘It’s Hard To Be A Saint In This City’, Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong (2012), ‘Suspend Disbelief’, The Heritage Rooms, London (2013), ‘Anxiety Generation’, Delahunty, London (2014) and ‘My Sonic Youth’, Fabien Castanier, Los Angeles (2015).
Semple has also appeared in 40 group shows, fairs, biennials, charity projects, and major public art projects. He came to the limelight in 2009 through his public art project, “Happy Cloud,” in London. Over the years, such public art projects have been held across other European cities including Milan, Moscow, and Dublin.
His artworks have been displayed worldwide in prestigious galleries and museums such as ICA, Victoria Miro, The Goss-Michael Foundation, Sotheby’s, Sammlung Fide, The Fine Art Society, Torrance Art Museum, Pallant House, and the Museum of Art and Design, NYC.
Stuart Semple has collaborated with brands including Moncler, Bulgari, Selfridges, Placebo, The Prodigy, Rolls Royce, L’Oreal, and Umbro. He has also been featured in the media such as The Guardian, Independent, Vanity Fair, BBC News, Elle, and Italian Vogue, among others.
Semple is an advocate of art, mental health, and artists’ rights and has spoken at venues like Oxford University and Royal College of Art. Besides, he has been a columnist for Huffington Post and Art of England for many years now. Stuart has also presented the BBC’s Art & Design learning series Bitesize, BBC Radio 4 documentary Art of Now: Hostile Design, and has been featured on NPR’s The Company That Owns Colors and CBS News’ The New Reality. To make art accessible to a wider audience, he has also hosted programs for BBC Learning.
In 2011, he became an ambassador for Mind, the mental health non-profit focusing on creative therapies fund. Four years later, Stuart Semple produced the Amazon bestselling book, My Happy Coloring Flip Book to further support the cause. In 2020, he founded a Bournemouth-based artist-run space called GIANT. It aims to offer access to “world-class contemporary art for the local community.”
To date, GIANT has organized exhibitions featuring artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Jordan Wolfson, Mark Titchner, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Tai Shani, Michael Simpson, and Jeremy Deller. His latest book Make Art or Die Trying was published in 2024 and explores historic artworks and personal artistic journeys. Stuart Semple is a recipient of multiple awards including the Happiness Hero Award and Blue Peter Badge.
After hinting at a tape release, Stuart Semple posted on Instagram Tuesday, saying he needed "space" and was quitting social media due to stress. He assured followers he wasn’t hiding but struggling to cope.
“I’ll be back when I’m ready to face it. Thanks for being lovely. Stuart X,” he ended the post.
Earlier, in October 2024, Semple faced controversy after he legally changed his name to Anish Kapoor. It was part of his feud with British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor to get access to Vantablack, a super dark, light-absorbing art material to which the latter had exclusive license.
