Anemomorph: A new work for Hazelmere Sculptures

I’m delighted to be taking part in Somerset Art Weeks this year with a new sculpture trail at Hazelmere, Hillcommon as part of Somerset Arts Weeks.

For the trail, I have created a new sculpture called Anemomorph.

An anemomorph is a plant whose form has been shaped by persistent wind. I was drawn to the way trees and other living forms respond to the forces around them — gradually adapting, bending and changing in response to prevailing winds. The resulting forms can be beautiful and distinctive, revealing something about the invisible forces that have shaped them.

Anemomorph explores this relationship between natural forces and living forms, using woven willow to create a sculpture that suggests both resilience and transformation. This new work has an organic, almost creature-like form. Its rounded woven body is pierced by a series of long, tapering projections that reach outwards into the landscape. There is a sense of movement within the sculpture, although it is completely still. Just as we can see the effects of wind on a tree without seeing the wind itself, Anemomorph suggests forces that are present but invisible. The sculpture becomes a way of thinking about how landscapes — and the living things within them — are continually shaped by forces beyond our control.

There is something particularly appropriate about using a material that itself grows, bends and responds to its environment. The making process also reflects the idea behind the work. Willow is flexible, but it has limits. It can be bent and shaped, yet it retains its own character. In Anemomorph, those qualities become part of the language of the sculpture.

Anemomorph at Hazelmere, creating the sculpture for Hazelmere has been an important part of the work. I wanted Anemomorph to feel as though it belongs to the landscape rather than simply being placed within it. Surrounded by willows, pear trees and quarter acre wood , the woven willow echoes the natural forms around it, while its unusual silhouette introduces something unexpected. Visitors are invited to walk around the sculpture and experience these changes for themselves.

Resilience through change. At the heart of Anemomorph is the idea that change does not necessarily mean weakness. Perhaps there is also something recognisable in that process for all of us. We are shaped by the landscapes we inhabit, by circumstances, by time and by forces we cannot always see.

Its been a joy to be part of Hazelmere Sculptures story, where it can continue to change through its relationship with the landscape and the people who encounter it. I hope you’ll come and see Anemomorph for yourself as part of the new Hazelmere Sculpture Trail at venue 11 for Somerset Art Weeks.

Hazelmere Sculpture Trail, Hazelmere, Hillcommon, Taunton TA4 1DU

19th Sept to the 4th October from 10am - 5pm open until 8pm on Thursdays