In the Heart of Mayfair

Art Acumen are curating a sculpture programme for long-term client Grosvenor. Their grade A office scheme in Mayfair, located at one of London’s most prestigious addresses opposite Claridge’s hotel “sets a new standard in West End office design and service, preparing for the dynamic change that Crossrail will bring to Mayfair in 2018” Grosvenor

Our first installment is a sculpture by Jilly Sutton, who’s inspiration comes from the ancient trees and woodland that surround her studio and the home she shares with her architect husband on the banks of the River Dart in Devon.

Using locally fallen or felled timber, Sutton carves large heads and figures, sandblasting and liming to give them their unique, grainy character. In her own words: “The warmth of wood, the quality of the grain, and the life embodied in each and every tree, together with a veneration of the head as a sculptural form, this is my passion. However, working with the vagaries of the organic, still living, nature of the material, and pushing the boundaries of its plasticity, is the constant challenge.”

A selection of these wood carved sculptures are cast in small editions in both bronze and bronze resin. Her sculpures have been exhibited internationally and are in public and private collections in the UK and abroad. Her carved wooden portrait of the former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion is in the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.