Many of you will know Des as our Wellbeing Practitioner and Youth Worker, supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing through our partnership with Off The Record. But there is another side to Des that you may not know: he is also Desmond Masters, a Bristol ceramic artist known as OozeDes.
On Saturday 14 November 2026, Des will hold his first solo exhibition, bringing together his love of art, personal storytelling and community. The event will also raise funds for three charities, including 224 Youth Zone.
Des has spent much of his working life alongside young people. Before joining us, he worked with youth organisations including Fairbridge, The Prince’s Trust, Off The Record and 224 Youth Zone in south Bristol. Today, he continues that work as a wellbeing practitioner and youth worker, helping children and young people navigate challenges and look after their wellbeing.
For Des, his therapeutic work and his art are closely connected. Both are rooted in empathy, lived experience and the strength of community.
“Bristol has shaped who I am, both as a person and as an artist. Having spent many years supporting young people, I know how important it is for them to have opportunities to be creative, build confidence and feel part of a community. I’m proud that my exhibition, 52, can help raise awareness of 224 Youth Zone, Off The Record and Temwa and the difference they can all make to young people’s lives.”
Des
Growing up in Bristol, Des was immersed in hip-hop, graffiti, BMX and skateboarding. He also danced professionally as a b-boy. When an injury brought his breaking career to an end, he began looking for a new way to channel that energy.
That new direction came about by chance. In 2022, his wife gave him a Raku pottery workshop for his birthday, and he immediately connected with clay. He began sculpting sneakers, drawing on a form that had been part of his life since childhood and remained closely tied to his experiences of hip-hop and breaking.
His artist name, OozeDes, is inspired by the Bristolian greeting “Ooze ’ee?”, meaning “Who’s he?”.
From that first pottery workshop came 52: a project to create 52 ceramic sneakers over 52 weeks, with each shoe telling a different chapter of Des’s life. Together, the sculptures form a kind of autobiography, exploring identity, family, loss, race and what it means to grow up in Bristol. Each shoe captures a moment of joy, grief, resilience or change.
The 52 project
“Shoes are our silent companions. They hold where we’ve been, the ground we’ve walked, and the journeys that shape who we become.”
Desmond Masters (OozeDes)
52 Shoes. 52 Weeks. One Life.
Des’s first solo exhibition takes place for one day only, with free entry throughout the day.
Visitors can explore all 52 sculptures and discover the stories behind them. Each piece has its own QR code, allowing visitors to scan it with their phone and listen to the personal story connected to that week’s shoe.
The exhibition will also feature contributions from well-known Bristol artists Acerone, Gage and Natasha Clutterbuck. Each artist will decorate one of Des’s ceramic sneakers in response to a memory of their own, adding more personal stories and perspectives to the project.
Giving back to the community that helped shape his work is an important part of the exhibition. Funds raised on the day will support three charities; 224 Youth Zone, Off The Record and Temwa.
Come along and show your support
Join Des at Hamilton House, Stokes Croft, Bristol, on Saturday 14 November, any time between 10am and 7pm. Entry is free, so bring friends and family, explore the 52 ceramic sneakers and take time to listen to the stories behind them.
If you can, make a donation to support 224 Youth Zone, Off The Record and Temwa.
You can discover more of Des’s work at 52sliphop.com and follow him on Instagram at @oozedes_sliphop.
Exhibition details
Date: Saturday 14 November 2026
Time: 10am to 7pm
Venue: Hamilton House, Stokes Croft, Bristol
Entry: Free