Filter

Price
Size
Subject
Material
Style

Paul Smith

BORN:
1961 – Born, Northampton, England

LIVES:
Paul is a full time artist, making ceramic figurative sculptures in his studio on the edge of the Peak District National Park. The images he makes are dream-like and contemplative, designed to create a feeling of a reality where peaceful co-existence is possible between us and nature. The style is bold and semi-abstract with graceful sweeping curves and simplified details.
In his work he plays with the conventions of fairytales and fables, often turning the stories on their heads and twisting them. Goldilocks has made peace with the bears and Red Riding Hood has grown up to be a confident femme fatale who entrances the Wolf. There are many ‘first-nation’ stories of a time when beasts could talk and the world was one, not divided into the human/animal worlds.
Paul is interested in our perception of the animal kingdom, told through fairytale and fable, art, books and film, rather than realistic depiction. A big influence on my work has been Angela Carter who wrote several short stories and novels on the theme of fairytales, “The Company of Wolves” and “The Bloody Chamber” being among the most famous. She tells tales of transformation, wonder and strangeness but, however dark the stories are, there is, more often than not, a redemptive ending. He uses children’s stories as the vehicle to explore, in terms of adult-oriented concerns, the universal themes raised; love and jealousy, duplicity and trust.
His work is solidly rooted in the figurative tradition. Paul particularly admires the work of Elie Nadelman. A Polish-born sculptor working in the earlier part of the last century, he was innovative in his wonderful sense of fluid line and form, influenced by American folk art.

EDUCATION:
1983 – Leicester Polytechnic: 2:1 BA Hons Fine Art Sculpture
1985 – Hertfordshire College of Art and Design: Postgraduate Diploma in Art Therapy
He has worked full-time from his own sculpture studio since 1998)

AWARDS:
2000 Aug The Derbyshire Prize at the Derbyshire Open
2004 Nov Highly Commended in the Zelli Porcelain Award
2014 and 2016 July Potfest in the Park, Cumbria Won Peers Prize for “Rocketdog” and “Birdman”
2014, 2016 and 2017 July Potfest in the Park, Cumbria Public vote (Friday) for “Rocketdog”, “Birdman” and “Darwin” respectively
2017 June Holmfirth Artweek – Prize for best 3D artwork in show (for “Punch” – a sculpture of a horse – ‘The John and Isabel Shaw Founders Prize’)

MEDIUMS USED IN WORK:
Clay, Ceramic, Marble and Slate resin

SUBJECTS OF WORK:
Handbuilt, Sculptural, Figurative, Animals and Birds

EXHIBITIONS:
Solo
2013 Oct Cambridge Contemporary Art
2011 Oct Singing Soul Gallery – Cranbrook, Kent
2010 September, Cambridge Contemporary Art – “Supernature”
2004 June, Cambridge Contemporary Art – “If you go down to the woods today…”
2001 July, Buxton Museum & Art Gallery, Derbyshire – “ANIMALISM”
Small Group Exhibitions
2007 June, Cambridge Contemporary Art – 2 person show with painter Nicola Slattery
1999 May, Ashbourne Gallery, Derbyshire – 2 Man Show with painter Angelo Murphy

Paul Smith sculpture for sale from The Sculpture Park is detailed below:

Tickets
Tickets
Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top

Enquire About This Piece

January Sculpture Sale Now On!
Discounted Sculptures
This is default text for notification bar
Learn more