Joss the Margate Giant

Joss, the Margate Giant, was commissioned by Turner Contemporary as part of their ongoing audience development programme. The giant’s personality, reflecting Margate's seaside traditions of funfairs, smuggling, and holiday escapism, was shaped through consultations with local residents, with hundreds participating in outreach and open days.

The townsfolk named the giant Joss, after the famous smugglers' cove, Joss Bay, just along the Margate coast. The Big Head companions pay tribute to Margate's seaside history, featuring characters inspired by artists Tracey Emin and JWM Turner, reimagined as Punch and Judy. Tracey Emin even shared that her mum sent her a picture of her Big Head from the local paper, and she thought "it was great."