Abigail Brown

Captivated by the animal world

• Abigail creates her animals with a variety of mediums
• She is continually learning and inventing new techniques
• Her work combines colour, pattern and texture

The first source of inspiration for London-based multimedia sculptor Abigail Brown is the Animal Kingdom: “All my work takes an animal form, often looking to lesser known, threatened species to highlight conservation projects with a hope to help save them from extinction.” She is fascinated by the exploration of combined materials and processes, constantly evolving her work through medium and scale. Abigail prefers to work with materials that have already had a life, like old clothing that carry signs of wear or metal objects found underground. “I like the idea of them having a former life, a soul that is rebirthed in the object I build from them. This recycling also ties in to my concern for the natural world, helping me spread the message that it’s something we must take greater care of.”

Interview

©Benedict Sanderson

©Emma Collins

How did you discover this craft?

It very much found me. Being happy in my work is very important to me and I’m at my very happiest making things with my hands. The work I create is all self-taught, a continual process of learning and experimenting in the different mediums that interest me.

Have you mastered any special technique?

I am constantly learning and refining techniques in my work. My specialisation lies mostly in an understanding of the 3D form and how I can add or take away in whatever medium I am working in, in order to achieve that desired form.

Is your work inspired by your travels?

Different cultural traditions, art, costumes and ceremonial rituals fascinate me. In my travels around the world I absorb all the sights I encounter, seeking out that country’s traditional arts and crafts and making a few purchases to add to my treasured Folk Art collection.

How do you update traditional practices?

My methods of working all have great history and tradition to them, the pieces might nod to cultural traditions or stories, but the way I have worked with them might bring them out of that past to something very much about me and the world I exist in today.

Abigail Brown is a master artisan: she began her career in 2007 and she started teaching in 2009

Works

©Abigail Brown

©Abigail Brown

©Abigail Brown

©Abigail Brown

©Abigail Brown

Where

Experiences

Fabric bird sewing in London

12 Hours

230 GBP per person

Fabric bird sewing

6 Hours

130 GBP per person

Paper mache workshop in London

12 Hours

230 GBP per person