Wycliffe Stutchbury
‘My compositions made from fallen and forgotten timber are studies in the narrative beauty of wood. They are made to reveal timbers’ response to its environment over time, its un-fashioned beauty, durability, and vulnerability. The origin of the material I use is central to my work.’ – Wycliffe Stutchbury
The ancient British landscape and its ever-evolving story is an essential part of Wycliffe’s creative journey. His ambitious wall panels and standing screens are inspired by the countryside he has experienced and lived in over his lifetime; from the Fenlands of East Anglia to the South Downs, where the artist spent his earliest days. This childhood relationship to woodland means he has an intrinsically close bond to his material: holly bush, oak and bogwood express his emotional connection to his subject while acting as an index of place itself. For Wycliffe, the finished piece is always an exploration of landscape: field, furrow and fall line are all embedded in the undulating scenery his work recalls.
His making process is slow and meditative; delicately hewn tiles of wood are placed by hand to create abstract compositions that are at once emotive, intuitive and conceptual. Patterns emerge in linear forms and subtle tonal changes susurrate across the picture's surface - reminding us of the wood’s creation and guiding us back to place. The final mass of shimmering wood shingles suggests a tension between the unpredictability of the natural world and the artist’s desire to impose new structures, while simultaneously retaining the life of the tree and its unique textural imperfections. Inconsistencies and anomalies are augmented, allowing the material to express its story in dialogue with the artist’s practice.
Wycliffe studied at the London College of Furniture and subsequently worked for 25 years as a furniture maker. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Brighton with a BA in 3D Craft and co-founded the Blue Monkey Studio, a collective of Eastbourne based artists, in the same year. The artist has exhibited extensively in the UK and the US and has significant works in international private collections. He has received several notable awards, from the Crafts Council UK and the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers UK. In 2018, Wycliffe was shortlisted for the Loewe Craft Prize and in 2021 Wycliffe won the bespoke category in the British Wood Awards.
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Design Miami/ 2022 concludes successful 18th edition under the theme "The Golden Age: Looking to the Future"
Jose Villarreal, Art Daily -
Design Miami 2022: Further Coverage
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The Golden Age
Hani Oh, ELLE Design, January 2, 2023 -
The Most Memorable Moments From Miami Art and Design Week 2022
Hannah Martin and Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, December 9, 2022 -
Highlights from Design Miami/ 2022
Design Miami, December 8, 2022 -
What we loved at Design Miami 2022
Elana Castle, Effect Magazine, December 7, 2022 -
5 DESIGN TRENDS WE SPOTTED DURING MIAMI ART WEEK
Ingrid Abramovitch, Parker Bowie Larson and Sean Santiago, Elle Decor, December 6, 2022 -
5 Standout Wood Furnishings at Design Miami Revive the Humble Material for the 21st Century
Adrian Madlener, Artnet, December 5, 2022 -
As Art Basel Turns 20, Miami Art Week Enters a New, Slightly Less Hyped-Up Dawn
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Design Miami 2022 Gives Sights, Sounds, and Plenty of Seats
Joshua Glass, Cultured, December 1, 2022 -
A preview of a selection of this year’s exhibitors reveals some cutting edge contemporary works
Charlotte Abrahams , The Design Edit, November 21, 2022 -
How To Make It: FALL LINE
Design Miami/, April 21, 2021 -
Craft exhibitions to see in the UK this spring
Jessica Klingelfuss, Craft's Council, March 31, 2021
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Wycliffe Stutchbury
Masterpiece London 'Encountering Beauty through the Material World' March 12, 2021View 'Fall Line' exhibition pageRead more -
Wycliffe Stutchbury
January 29, 2021 -
Wycliffe Stutchbury & Sarah Myerscough
January 5, 2021The fifth in our new series of Crafted Conversations talks is between artist Wycliffe Stutchbury and Sarah Myerscough. Discussing ‘Fall Line’, Wycliffe’s solo exhibition currently...Read more