I will never forget the wall mounted sculptures of painted snake-skin textured sculptures [pictured below] at Dora House by Polly Morgan and her sculpture outside that won the First Plinth Public Art Award in 2023. These sculptures not only mimicked the camouflage of the natural world but their iridescence and vibrancy were mesmerising and complemented the exhibition space and terrace.
Sally de Courcy MRSS, February 2026
Image below shows I Know You Won't Last, 2023 by Polly Morgan MRSS when it was on show at Dora House as part of her exhibition False Flags.
De Courcy's sculptures evolve by manipulating multiple cast objects so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Bones, representing mortality and vulnerability and provocative objects are combined in her sculptures to confront difficult or uncomfortable subjects, that express our shared human experiences. The decorative outcome disguises darker themes of human flaws and influences, that when revealed create dissonance. De Courcy's current work creates ornate architectural features to reference the link between many historical buildings and institutions in the UK to the transatlantic slave trade.
Ahead of the Year of the Home in 2026 when we celebrate the Society's 50 years at Dora House, we asked members to share with us their personal memories of Dora House. We will be sharing them throughout 2026 as part of a programme of this milestone, marked also by the delivery of our project Creating a Home for Sculptors.
If you have a memory you would like to share, you can still do so via this link.
