Havering College teacher wins TV art show.

A Havering Colleges’ Electrical Installation teacher, Otis Griffith, appeared on BBC TV’s Home Is Where The Art Is last week – and ended up winning the show!

Otis, who works at the college Ardleigh Green campus, is a self-taught sculptor and has been creating art pieces from scrap metal in his spare time for around 25 years.

His amazing sculpture of a family’s pet dog looking up at a cat in a tree was chosen as the winning piece – beating two other professional artists to the £1,000 prize.

Otis said: “I was very nervous filming the show, but it’s been a massive confidence boost for me. I’ve always been creative but I have never studied art or had any training, it’s just my passion – as well as teaching!”

The TV show is hosted by Nick Knowles who told Otis: “You create some really stunning pieces. You have a gift. The sculpture you have made is very special.”

The show was aired on Monday 13th July at 3.45pm but can be seen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kxvh

Otis recently made a mural paying tribute to NHS staff which has been put up at King George Hospital this week.

The metal sculpture has been placed outside the Cardiology department.

Otis welded pieces of steel together to produce around 50 hearts, spelling out the letters NHS. He then spray painted the piece and donated it to the hospital.