LAURA ANDERSON

RECENT WORK

Carved Wooden West African Masks for Yinka Shonibare CBE - SEPTEMBER 2019 - CURRENT

Since September 2019 I have been commissioned to carve historic West African masks for artist Yinka Shonibare CBE. The masks feature as part of Yinka's art works in various solo and group exhibitions such as: ‘African Spirits of Modernism’ 2021, ‘Free The Wind, The Spirit and, The Sun’ 2023 - Stephen Friedman Gallery - London, Pablo Picasso: 'The Legacy of Youth - Sainsbury Centre, Norwich 2022, 'Restitution of the Mind and Soul’ 2023 - Goodman Gallery - Cape Town, Sketch restaurant, 2022, ‘Ritual Ecstasy of the Modern’ - Cristea Roberts Gallery, London, 2023 and Frieze. With only a photograph as a reference, each mask is first modelled in clay before hand carving in laminated sheets of Quebec pine. Some masks are then fully patinated to look aged, while other masks are left untreated ready for painting. I undertook a trip to the Musée National Picasso-Paris to privately view Picasso's collection of African masks as part of my research for the commission.

National Trust - March to June 2020

In March 2020, I submitted a proposal to the National Trust to recreate the garden fretwork in the Lambeth home of Kenyan poet and civil servant Khadambi Asalache. (Khadambi left his house to the National Trust following his death in 2006). Our proposal was accepted and I made a sample fretwork piece, before the project was put on hold due to Covid-19.

Royal Horticultural Society 'Back to Nature Garden' Butterfly Sculpture - August/September 2019

In August 2019 I was commissioned by The Royal Horticultural Society to create a sculpture to feature in the 'RHS Back to Nature Garden' at Wisley in Surrey. The garden was co-designed by the Duchess of Cambridge and featured at the Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Flower Festival. As part of the project the Duchess collaborated with Blue Peter to run a competition for viewers to design a wood sculpture to be installed in the children's play area within Wisley. I was ultimately commissioned to interpret, make and install the winning design - a large butterfly-inspired shape - along with a bespoke metal worker who made the metal wings. On a tight schedule, I sourced a large 'green' cedar tree which had been felled the year before in Blackheath to be delivered and safely installed at Blackhorse Workshop to carve the sculpture. The winning design had been hand drawn so I first made a clay model to help visualise the sculpture in the round. I then drew the shape onto the two-meter tall cedar and carved out the design. The spiral form and the texture of the sculpture was hand carved. For the installation, I designed and inserted a metal plate and pin system at the base of the sculpture to secure it safely into a cement pit. I organised the delivery of the butterfly sculpture and oversaw the installation process at the site.

William Morris Gallery Artist in Residence - 2017-18 with exhibition held February to June 2019

In 2017-2018, together with a local designer and textile artist, I was the William Morris Gallery Artist in Residence. Our aim was to seek ways in which the designs and traditional processes synonymous with William Morris could find artistic form and relevance in the contemporary and culturally diverse setting of Walthamstow in 2019. As part of our research, we had access to the extensive WMG archive and in particular the William Morris woodblocks. I was drawn to Morris's love of architecture as well as his ideas on pattern design and making, themes which I then explored in my own work. I also looked to the architecture of surrounding buildings in Walthamstow to create my own pattern designs and motifs which I then carved in wood for block printing. Exploring Morris’ love of architecture and how buildings and community intertwine to form a shared history, I chose to visit the Sri Karpaga Vinayagar Kovl Temple next door to the gallery. The overall layout and design of the temple serves to highlight the reverence of the ancient Hindu symbols, practices and beliefs, but also to heighten the visitor’s experience and response, in effect to act as a link between a person and their gods. I was able to see, through Morris’ eyes, the parallel importance of beauty and purpose, together with the inspiration that comes from looking to various cultures and beliefs for ideas. Further challenged by Morris to “not be afraid of large patterns, if properly designed they are more restful to the eye than small ones”, my prints (which are printed using hand carved wooden blocks) are an attempt to find new expression in some of the motifs and images I discovered on my visit to the temple.We also ran a series of block carving and printing workshops for the gallery as part of London Craft Week. The residency culminated in an exhibition of our work called Beauty and Incident at the gallery in February-June 2019. In April 2019, I was invited by the gallery to demonstrate woodcarving for the WMG 'family day' block carving and printing workshop.

Heraldic Shield - 2016-2017

During my diploma studies at the City & Guilds of London Art School, I won the design award and subsequent commission to wood carve, polychrome and gild a prestigious heraldic shield for the Fishmongers Company Prime Warden in London. The shield is now on permanent display in Fishmonger's Hall on the Thames.

Other Private Commissions

An example of a smaller commission for a private client was designing and producing a hand carved and painted cormorant bird, approximately 8 inches high. Beginning with several drawing studies of cormorant birds in the wild and at the Natural History Museum in Tring, I settled on a design which I then modelled in clay. The bird was then hand carved in lime wood before being painted. Other smaller commissions include carving a Kanji Japanese character (meaning 'happiness] for a fifth wedding anniversary; and carving a small oak memorial cross for the Islington & St Pancras Cemetery woodland.

Restoration Work

I have completed a number of restoration projects. Examples of restoration work include carving a new arm for a satyr on a large mantlepiece in an eighteenth century mansion in Ealing Park; carving, gilding and restoring missing sections and scrolls on a George III mirror frame; and letter cutting as part of restoring an honour board in the All Saints Church in Cricklewood.