Major exhibition by former Walsall Express & Star paper boy opens this week

Idris Khan, who grew up in the town and still has family there, will be at a special preview of his show at The New Art Gallery on Thursday.

A World Within will then be fully opened to the public on Friday.

Mr Khan, who lives in London, said: "This is a selection of the last 12 years of work. I left Walsall when I was 19 and did my foundation degree at Walsall College.

"I still have family here – my father and my brother still live here and my sister lives in Birmingham. I was the only one who really flew the nest.

"It's amazing that after this long, this is my first UK big museum exhibition. It's great to bring all this work back and show what I've done over this time.

"I remember when this gallery opened in 2000 and being here. At that time I had no idea how my career was going to develop and thinking: 'Oh my god, maybe I could have a show here'.

"That's what I aspired to do – to have museum shows. And now it's happening, it's a reality and that's amazing.

"I have had a great career where I have had so many exhibitions, it's nice to be surrounded by old friends."

Mr Khan attended Park Hall Primary School and Barr Beacon School before Walsall College.

From there, he graduated from the University of Derby and completed a Master's degree at the Royal College of Art in London in 2004.

Last November he completed work on the design and production of a memorial to war dead of the United Arab Emirates, the Martyrs' Memorial. He is represented by Victoria Miro in London, the Galerie Thomas Schulte in Berlin, Sean Kelly in New York and Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco.

His exhibition brings together work drawing on classical music, the history of art, literature, philosophy and also religion.

His works – in media including sculpture, painting and photography – 'rely on a continuous process of creation and erasure, or the adding of new layers while retaining traces of what has gone before'.

Mr Khan, who is well known for his large-scale pieces, will also talk about his work during an event at the gallery on March 23 at 6.30pm.

Tickets are £3 and booking is essential. To book, phone the gallery on 01922 654400.