Kendra Haste

Wire sculptor

©Bill Mudge2

©ionanicollphotography

©francescaljones

Living wire

Kendra creates sculptures of animals using wire mesh and coil
Her works are realistic and life-size
She observes animals, her subject, in the wild

With a childhood passion for drawing and her father who encouraged her to be creative, Kendra Haste never had a doubt that she would pursue a career in the arts. She obtained a BA degree in illustration, then completed a Master of Arts in Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art. Kendra knew she always enjoyed working in three dimensions. Developing her sculptural ideas as extensions of her drawings, she eventually turned her hand to metal sculpture. Today she creates unique, life-size, naturalistic sculptures of animals using an unconventional wire mesh material. Her pieces are impressive: the tallest one she has ever made is a 5.5-metre tall giraffe. In London, two of her life-size elephant reliefs are on permanent display, one at Waterloo station, the other at the Tower of London.

Interview

©Iona Nicol

©mudgery

Why did you choose wild animals as your main subject?: Animals have always been a deep fascination for me and provide an inexhaustibly rich subject matter. Through my sculptures, I attempt to examine what makes each species unique. It has been gratifying to work with several conservation charities on their projects and expeditions, raising funds and awareness about species survival and habitat protection.
Why do you work with chicken wire mesh as your material?: It is an extraordinarily expressive medium. It can take on many different textures, weights and tones, from soft, fluffy feathers to the thick, rough skin of an elephant. By sculpting it in layers, I can create both volume and surface texture, lightness and solidity. Because it has holes, the mesh also adds lightness and animation to the subject.
How are your pieces born, step by step?: After thoroughly researching my subject with some drawings, I work from the inside out. I begin with a rough skeletal frame and then build up layers of wire mesh, sewn together with binding wire, from the bones and muscles to the final skins and surface textures.
Do you get inspiration from other artists?: I love the depictions of animals from ancient civilisations, the investigative drawings of Renaissance artists such as Antonio Pisanello, Leonardo Da Vinci and Albrecht Durer, and the animal portraits by 18th-century painter George Stubbs. The contemporary sculptor Nicola Hicks is particularly inspiring to me as well.

Kendra Haste is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1998