Tara Illingworth MRSS

The sculpture I create is an extension of the natural world I experience. Objects that have been observed on the forest floor or seabed are simplified, magnified and combined to create new forms, thereby evolving my own genres and sub-species. Elements are sometimes added from ancient or tribal cultures, made by people in touch with the land.

Drawings in pencil, pen and conté, maquettes in wax or plaster are used to formulate and clarify ideas before pieces are carved in stone or cast in bronze. These traditional materials demand patience with their processes.  Stone has a particular resonance, I love to manipulate it’s mass and work with it’s own history and uniqueness. My sculptures are quiet, subtle, meditative pieces inviting question and intrigue.

After completing BA Hons in sculpture at Winchester School of Art, extended study in Europe and USA,  I lived in Western Australia for several years, immersed in an environment which stimulated and forged ideas and then Asia for 11 years which provided a rich source of material inviting the exploration of new avenues using local botanical forms. 

I am now based between London, Connemara in the West of Ireland and Umbria, Italy.