Bowman Sculpture Gallery is exhibiting its inaugural Graduate Exhibition, spotlighting the brightest and most promising talent in the world of sculpture. This exceptional showcase features works by 13 young artists hand-picked from London’s foremost art institutions, including Central St Martins, Royal College of Art, City and Guilds, and SLADE, setting the stage for the next generation of sculptors.
The participating artists are Alex Ford, Cami Brownhill, Caroline Berthelot Williams, Harmony-Cree Morgan, Harrison Lambert, Isis Powers-Bird, Lydia Smith, Naroul, Neal Camilleri, Rufus Martin, Ruth Speer, Yeye and Zayn Qahtani.
The Bowman Sculpture Graduate Exhibition includes diverse sculptural styles and mediums, reflecting contemporary sculpture’s dynamic and evolving nature. Each piece has been selected to highlight its creator’s unique vision and craftsmanship, offering visitors a glimpse into the future of sculptural art.
Bowman Sculpture’s inaugural Graduate show is the brainchild of Director Mica Bowman, who is rapidly making a name for herself in the art world as a pioneering young curator with an eager eye for young talent. Mica is providing a platform for rising stars of sculpture such as Massimiliano Pelletti, who had a sellout show at Bowman Sculpture in 2023, as well as introducing more cultural diversity and gender balance to the art world, for example, with her all-woman exhibition with Guerin Projects ‘The Power of She’ which opened at the gallery on International Women’s Day 2023.
Bowman and Head of Sales Daniel Pereira visited the graduate shows at the leading London art institutions, selecting artists representing a diverse range of ages, sculptural techniques, and cultures, including Bahrain, China, and Iran.
This carefully curated selection of next-generation sculptors will present artists pushing the boundaries of sculpture and working in various mediums, as well as those reimagining or reinventing traditional sculpture methods.
The inaugural Bowman Sculpture Gallery Graduate Exhibition will open to the public on 30th October and run through to 22nd November. This exhibition represents a rare opportunity for collectors to discover and acquire works from the art world’s rising stars at the outset of their careers. For the artists, it is a chance to engage with a broader audience, gain critical exposure, and build professional relationships within a historic and influential art market. The prices of the artworks featured in the exhibition range from as little as £20 to £18,000, ensuring there is something for collectors and art enthusiasts at every level. Whether you’re an experienced collector looking to invest in the next big name in sculpture or someone just beginning your journey into the art world, the exhibition offers accessible and diverse options.
Nestled in the prestigious Duke Street, St James’s area, renowned for its sophisticated galleries and distinguished dealers, Bowman Sculpture Gallery’s latest exhibition offers a youthful contrast to its traditionally refined surroundings. The gallery is widely considered to be the foremost gallery in the world for sculpture by Auguste Rodin and most recently exhibited Faces and Fables: Rodin’s Portraiture, Great Commissions, Mythology, and Sculptural Innovations, a critically acclaimed exhibition that featured a stunning array of 30 sculptures from his earliest works through to the final pieces of his career.
“Our Graduate Exhibition is more than just a display of new talent,” says Mica Bowman, Director of Bowman Sculpture Gallery. “It is a celebration of the innovative spirit and boundless creativity that these young sculptors bring to the art world. By featuring their work in such a prominent location, we aim to bridge the gap between emerging and established art circles.”
A group of 13 young artists have been chosen to participate in the show in October. The exhibition features artists from various backgrounds with their own narratives and perspectives. Almost all the artists have been hand-selected from some of the most prestigious art colleges in the Greater London area. The gallery has confirmed its intention to expand its reach to other universities within the UK as the Graduate Exhibitions progress. “We are hoping that this exhibition will be a success and that it will become a permanent feature of the gallery’s calendar,” adds Daniel Pereira, Head of Sales at Bowman Sculpture
Interestingly, two artists were not selected from graduate programs but were invited by Mica Bowman due to their growing success in the emerging art scene. Mica states: “I believe it’s essential to spotlight artists who have consistently showcased their work and made significant strides in the art world over the past few years. Their perseverance and success speak to the strength of their talent and vision. The more we invest in these rising stars by providing opportunities for exposure and recognition, the more we contribute to a richer, more diverse cultural landscape for artists and audiences alike.”
Artists bring a distinctive and deeply personal perspective to their work, reflecting a broad spectrum of experiences and identities. The works in this exhibition delve into themes of transformation, personal challenges, and the complexities of contemporary life, offering fresh and thought-provoking interpretations. Bowman Sculpture aims to present an inclusive and varied collection that highlights the richness of different backgrounds and viewpoints, fostering a space where diverse voices in the art world can be celebrated.
In addition to its rich history of specializing in 19th and 20th-century sculpture for over three decades, Bowman Sculpture Gallery has progressively enhanced its reputation as a contemporary gallery. The gallery has actively contributed to the contemporary market in recent years, significantly increasing its representation of contemporary artists. Notable recent additions include Massimiliano Pelletti, whose first solo show in London in October 2023 was a sell-out and who is set to feature in several more significant projects both internationally and within the UK and female artist Joanna Allen, who is scheduled to exhibit her first solo show at the gallery in April 2025.
Top Photo: Morgan, Harmony-Cree – To torture me to care for you To care for you to torture me,-2
Participating artists
Alex Ford (Central Saint Martins, BA Fine Art)
“I’m excited that Bowman is beginning to champion emerging contemporary artists, and I look forward to seeing the show come together. My own work tends to draw divisive reactions, and I’m interested in seeing how the public will engage with it in such a great space.”
Alex Ford is a UK-based visual artist + filmmaker. His art questions the necessity of material truth, disrupting the boundaries between the physical + digital. His work has been described as ‘Looney Tunes meets Hieronymous Bosch.’ An award-winning filmmaker, his work has recently screened at Artsect Gallery, NotForSale Gallery + RUMP Gallery, with sculptures exhibited internationally at the Venice Biennale, Paradime Studios + The Koppel Project. Collaborating with the Royal Academy of Music, his work has been accompanied by live opera and orchestra at multiple charity events. Approaching making with a cyclical practice, he intermittently recycles pre-existing motifs to recontextualise the way we encounter art. Mostly, he just has fun making stuff.
Cami Brownhill (Goldsmiths University of London, BA Hons Fine Art)
“I first visited Bowman Sculpture during a group gallery tour in my first year at Goldsmiths and I fell in love with the environment, atmosphere and the amazing exhibitions they curate. I continue to visit Bowmans to see their new exhibitions so to be a part of their inaugural graduate showcase is such a privilege.”
I work mainly in an autobiographical manner that acts as a narrative of living as a transwoman in the UK. The way I work relies heavily on my interpretation of automatism. My thoughts when creating usually revolve around my trauma and anger which gives my work this honesty with embedded pain that is juxtaposed by the beauty of my ceramic glazes. I started making abstract figurative heads as a way to make a physical entity for my emotions and to represent a memory.
Caroline Berthelot Williams (City and Guilds of London Art School, Graduate Diploma)
“Participating in this group show is an excellent opportunity as an emerging artist, and I am honoured to have been selected for this first-of-its-kind graduate diploma show with Bowman Sculpture. “
Caroline started as a painter, acquiring perspective, construction skills and colour theory; moving into ceramics, she developed her understanding of shape, volume and space. Today as a sculptor, working with plaster, clay, bronze and stone, she combines her knowledge and skills to realize unique pieces that are personal, mesmerizing and reflect a high level of craftsmanship. Caroline’s sculptures appear as dreamlike images in which fiction and reality meet, with time and memory always playing key roles. By focusing on both techniques and materials, she seduces the viewer into a world of ongoing equilibrium, where the invisibility of air is depicted through movement. She uses an often-metaphorical language to create compositions or settings that generate tranquil and beautiful artworks.
Harmony-Cree Morgan (Goldsmiths University of London, BA Fine Art and Art History)
“I am super excited and honoured to be selected for the inaugural graduate exhibition at Bowman Sculpture. It means a lot to me being recognized and given a platform after graduating, especially from a gallery whose collection I am deeply inspired by. I look forward to exhibiting amongst the other participating artists and developing my practice further from this opportunity.”
Harmony-Cree Morgan (b. 2001, New York City) is a London-based artist using the body and traditional design objects as sites of exploration for dialectical tensions in interpersonal relationships. Primarily drawn to ceramic and casting processes, the nature of these practices with their malleability and eventual permanence, mirrors the way our experiences shape us, leaving both visible and invisible marks. In her work, the body becomes a site of inquiry embodying the pains and joys that our relationships bring us, aiming to resonate with the viewer on a fundamental level and invite them to reflect on their own experiences of connection and isolation.
Harrison Lambert (Goldsmiths University of London, BA Fine Art)
“I am honoured to have my work shown with Bowman Sculpture, a gallery whose dedication to craft resonates so strongly with my practice. Their commitment to combining classical techniques and contemporary art aligns perfectly with my approach to sculpture. I’m excited to exhibit alongside other talented young artists who are bringing fresh perspectives to contemporary sculpture.”
Harrison Lambert is a sculptor working primarily with stone and wood. His practice shapes iconic symbols of nature, filtered through cultural and historic time, into new, remixed sculptural objects. His practice is informed by the material he works with, both stone and wood requiring a slow, time-intensive process. There is a conceptual dimension to Lambert’s sourcing of materials– a provenance that is sometimes of personal significance at other times linked to ideas around recycling and repurposing. His process, in its slowness, is reminiscent of an archaic style of art production, where craftsmanship and skill chases after an aspirational sense of mastery.
Isis Powers-Bird (Camberwell College of Arts, BA Fine Art Sculpture)
“”Being a part of the Bowman Sculpture showcase is an amazing opportunity for myself as an emerging artist, to show my work in a new professional capacity.”
Isis Bird is a multimedia artist specialising in three-dimensional work exploring the themes of displacement, ecological decline and re-enchantment. Treating their practice as a space of freedom to seek out mystical experiences and transcendence of the body, Bird explores mediums of performance, sculpture, video and sound, dance and movement. Returning often to Zen as a philosophy to guide their work, Bird draws from a well of personal diaries and poems, weaving between memory and ephemerality.
Within their practice, artworks may occur only once. For example, durational time-based performances, and sculptures constructed from glass, paper and other natural fibres, mean that her work does not embody any long-lasting or permanent materialism.
Lydia Smith (University of the Arts London, BA Honours Technical Arts and Special Effects, 2017)
“Bowman Sculpture supports contemporary talent, which gives me hope for the future of sculpture. This exhibition will be an example of how boundaries can be pushed when emerging artists and heritage work together. I feel honoured to be one of the artists participating.”
Lydia Smith, born in 1995, is a multi-disciplined Artist working with historical and contemporary processes to realise her works. Her studio is based in Trafalgar Square, Central London. Through her practice, she explores the theme of Human connection, which encompasses subtopics, including Ancient History, Technology, Science, and Spirituality. She uses the physical and digital landscape to create sculptures, paintings and digital Art. Working with the Ancient Material, Clay, she enters a flow state, allowing her concepts to express themselves subconsciously; once complete, using her unique method, her work metamorphoses into the digital realm. These pixilated forms inform the evolution of her process.
Naroul (Camberwell College of Arts, MA Fine Art)
“As an artist from China, I am truly honoured to participate in this exhibition at Bowman Sculpture. I believe that this graduate exhibition is not only a significant milestone in my personal career but also provides valuable opportunities for the other participating artists. I am eagerly looking forward to viewing the outstanding works from other academies and gaining new inspiration and insights from them. To exhibit alongside such talented artists is a rare opportunity for learning and exchange for me.”
Naroul is a cross-media artist from China, whose mediums primarily include video, sculpture, and installation. Her themes often revolve around the inherent fractures within modernity, exploring division, opposition, and discipline. Her interest in these topics stems from her engagement with social science texts by authors such as Michel Foucault, Zygmunt Bauman, and Claude Lévi-Strauss.
Her works are characterized by a substantial appropriation of sociological and anthropological concepts, along with their visual reconstruction and fantasy. She aspires to use visual forms to enhance the understanding of theories and language.
Her series “Whispers of the Silence” is influenced by the feminist critique of capitalism through the lens of the witch- hunt movement. This work focuses on issues of animalization and demonization, attempting to discuss the impact of these concepts on the body and identity within this historical context, while also providing a reference for ongoing contemporary events.
Neal Camilleri (Central Saint Martins, BA Arts, Ceramic Design)
”Being selected for the recent graduate exhibition at Bowman Sculpture was an emotional moment for me. When I initially came to London, visiting various galleries in the city was a top priority, and showcasing my work at Duke Street was a significant personal achievement. I appreciate Daniel and Mica for including me in the exhibition. The excitement of seeing my artwork displayed alongside creations by talented artists gives me a profound sense of accomplishment, and this acknowledgement motivates me to pursue my passion and further develop as an artist.”
London-based but originally from Malta. My works blend elements from ancient architectural styles, heritage, culture, and a touch of animation to create a cohesive narrative. By using colour, I aim to evoke a feeling of joy and encourage viewers to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in the art. Born with a curious nature, I am always seeking to understand what is going on around me. I have a hunger for knowledge and an interest in most things. This same curiosity has guided my journey through my degree, where I have constantly endeavoured to push the boundaries and question both form and surface. This process results in each sculpture being unique in appearance and filled with emotion created through its manifestation.
Rufus Martin (Wimbledon College of Art, Set Design for Screen 2017)
“It’s an enormous privilege to have pieces selected for a show such as this. Bowman sculpture is a gallery I have always respected and admired, many of the works that have been on show in this space have inspired my personal practice, their expressive character, sensuality and pathos being something I am constantly searching for in my work.”
I trained at Wimbledon college of the arts London, though my aptitude for 3D design and sculpture came from a much earlier age. My introduction to sculpture, like with so many people, was through my parents. My mother, a portrait painter, first showed me the portrait works of Augusta Savage, Jacob Epstein and Augustine Rodin and inspired me to create a bust on Michael Howells, My late mentor. I went on to create sculptures of intriguing individuals, always hoping to capture some element of their past or current struggles and to create something for the good of the community they inhabit and wherever possible for posterity.
Ruth Speer (Slade School of Fine Art, MFA Painting)
I think of my sculptures as a series of personal folktales, a combination of odd utility, scene selections and allegories of something true. I build wooden structures to house my paintings as a continuation of the interior life I grew up with, homeschooled with my sisters in rural areas on both sides of the States. The imagery of mythology and visual language of Western painting history reflects this experience, being the textbooks I consumed most fervently as a child, and which I now use to communicate in my work. Important things involved are: hair, furniture, tactility, the forest, the body, God, theatre, fantasy, “let’s go play outside,” and a personal accord with things that take time.
As a child of German and American parents, I have been thinking a lot about both truly loving and alternately romanticizing the landscapes and physical culture of places; I grew up adoring the Pre-Raphaelites and the Northern Renaissance, which seeped into the way I paint now, but when finishing my MFA after living in London for two years I found myself wanting to paint the Pacific Northwest US landscapes, people, and things I grew up with, in this kind of fantastical, mythological way that I had started to view them from far away. This combination of Western art history, American imagery from my own experience, and mythology forms the basis of much of my work.
Yeye (Slade School of Fine Arts, MA Fine Arts)
“I’m really excited to show my works in a gallery that has a long history of presenting great sculptures, and honoured to be a part of it. Thanks to Bowman for providing such great platform for emerging artists like me to showcase our works in ways that are true to ourselves.”
Yeye is a Chinese artist based in London. His practice is inspired by daily life experiences, exploring the commonly seen and objects of familiarity and transforming them into abstract concepts and objects that blur the boundaries between art within gallery spaces and everyday mundanity.
Before the artist’s artistic journey in London, Yeye received linguistics and art degrees from the University of Wisconsin Madison in America, which has influenced his practice further into creating an immediate visual and conceptual art language in his works, which allows Yeye’s artworks to be viewed and experienced in a way that feeds back into others’ everyday experience.
Zayn Qahtani (The Royal College of Art, MA Sculpture)
Zayn Qahtani (b.1997) is a Bahraini artist working in London. Working across drawing, painting and sculpture, Zayn’s body of work is a diligent effort at archiving a personal, synesthetic archaeology. Works feel discovered rather than created, alluding to a life beyond the maker.
This animist quality becomes apparent in Zayn’s use of materiality: papers crafted from Bahraini date palm trees, bioplastics made from sugarcane, and pigments borne from plants, crystals, metals and earth all intermingle to form reincarnated objects of encrypted divination and illusory storytelling.
The exhibition runs until 22nd November Bowman Sculpture Gallery 6 Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6BN
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 6 pm