An exhibition of acclaimed sculptors that attracted audiences from across the country to the English Riviera is set to be extended following huge successes at The Sculpture Studio.

Sculpture Studio

The Sculpture Studio, hosted by Artizan Gallery as part of Devon Open Studios 2020, brought together eight talented 3D artists, including some of the local area’s finest sculptors as well as exceptional national talent, to exhibit in a showcase that became a highlight of the county-wide event. So much so, that the gallery has announced the show will be extended throughout October for visitors to continue to enjoy.

Housed in their main exhibition space, the diverse display of work which includes colourful ceramics, organic forms, and golden eggs, captures the infinite opportunities that 3D mediums offer for exploration to skilled craftspeople.

Earthfast

One such artist is Kate Lyons-Miller, a Dartmoor-based ceramicist whose series “Earthfast” studies the landscape through the medium of clay.

“The landscape I’m concerned with is Dartmoor,” said Kate. “Granite is the source material. From my home I look daily at the upturned bowl shape of Rippon Tor, simple, clear but changing with light and weather. It is the basic form for many of these pieces. The landscape is bold, harsh and pared back, high, windswept and wild; or quiet, calm and sheltered in the deep valleys. A communication of this is the intention of the work.”

Alongside Kate and the other Devon artists is the work of London-based Ezra Bailey, whose work with stone pushes the limits of the materials he chooses.

From humility to hubris

Describing his works in slate, Ezra comments, “[They] are explorations of ambivalence. Figures are carved from the landscape they sit or stand in. What is the relationship – from humility to hubris? They are also an insight into thoughts and states of mind, that until they were exhibited, I assumed were exclusively mine. The titles are often a flippant counterpoint to the seriousness of some of the themes.”

By bringing together these contrasting collections, Artizan hopes its gallery is providing a valuable local resource for Torbay’s arts communities. “The exhibition does two things that we think are important,” said Jacob Brandon, who curated the show.

Double benefits

“Firstly, it spotlights some of our own talent here in Devon and recognises the credibility these artists have beyond our county for their work. And secondly, it brings artists into Devon who audiences wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to see, works that would normally be reserved for London or even New York, are finding their way to our shows.”

The exhibition runs throughout October but will be reinterpreted at the end of the month when it moves into Artizan’s new dedicated sculpture gallery.

For more information visit art-hub.co.uk/ex/sculpturestudio20

top image: I Think I’ve Got This, by Ezra Bailey at The Sculpture Studio