Alison Crowther MA RCA

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Also shown in

Wood: growth patterns

Elements: wood metal

Find, make 2021

Surface edge shadow 2022

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Earth materials 2023

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Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire in 1965, Alison Crowther is a sculptor and furniture maker working almost exclusively with English oak, sustainably sourced from within the South Downs National Park.

 

Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1989 she has received a number of substantial commissions including Winchester Cathedral (1996) and The Shard (2015).  Internationally,

corporate and private clients have commissioned and collected work for over 20 years, spanning the globe from Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, to New York, Florida and San Diego.

 

Crowther’s sensitivity to the environment manifests in large scale works, which are based in and reflect the complex geometry of nature. She observes and responds to her material, taking cues from the wood’s density, grain and intricate growth patterns to create what author, Madeleine Bunting described as a ‘dialogue between material and human intervention’. Curator of Crowther’s 2008 exhibition ‘The Ripple Effect’ Ann Elliott said the surfaces of the work are ‘delicately carved into rippling lines, that radiate from knots or boles, crossing or flowing with the grain - a lyrical passage between artist and material’.

 

From her timber-framed studio at the foot of the South Downs, Crowther continues to produce award-winning commissions and to hand carve small pieces that are available from galleries such as, Flow Gallery (Notting Hill, London ), Sarah Myerscough Gallery ( Barnes, London ) and Gallery 57 ( Arundel, West Sussex ).