Kendra Haste
Wire sculptor
Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom
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 an MA in natural history illustration at the Royal College of Art. “I always knew I enjoyed working in three dimensions,” she says. Developing her sculptural ideas as extensions of her drawings, Kendra eventually turned her hand to metal sculpture. Today, she creates unique, life-size, naturalistic sculptures of animals using an unconventional wire mesh material. The tallest piece she has ever made is a 5.5-metre-tall giraffe. In London, two of Kendra’s life-size elephant reliefs are on permanent display, one at Waterloo station, the other at the Tower of London. A bison head she created is showcased in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Wyoming.
INTERVIEW
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.
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.
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.
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
Wire sculptor
Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English
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