Under the Surface: A Matter of Time

This is the keynote lecture ahead of the MArch Jury for the Design and Make Taught Postgraduate Programme

In this lecture wood sculptor Eleanor Lakelin will unearth the multi-faceted concepts underpinning her work and the painstaking processes employed in their creation.

Lakelin works only with trees grown in Britain, felled due to decay. A deep knowledge and a passionate interest in the natural properties of wood result in forms that seem true to the spirit of the material and which encourage us to look at the complexities of nature with a new perspective. Her work is rooted in the rhythm of growth, the eroding power of the elements and the passing of time. Material is transformed into objects that invite touch and reflection, reminding us of our elemental and emotional bond with wood and our relationship to the earth.

"Antediluvian landscapes, lost worlds and buried cities. The opulent darkness of scorched growths, milky surfaces striated with sandy estuaries, flowing ripples of textured rustiness. Ostensibly abstract, Eleanor Lakelin’s vessel-shaped sculptures abound in metaphorical resonance. They speak to the hand and to the soul, conjuring sensory imaginings and visual narratives. They share an equal timelessness and sense of urgency."

- Dr. Melanie Vandenbrouck, Curator of Sculpture at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Lakelin’s work is exhibited internationally and is part of prestigious private and public collections, including the V&A - Victoria & Albert Museum, London; MAD - Museum of Arts & Design, New York; the Museum of London, The National Museum, Norway; and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design. In 2020, she received a major commission from Reading Museum, supported by the CAS Rapid Response Fund and in partnership with Frieze London, to create a piece which memorialises Reading Gaol’s most famous inmate, Oscar Wilde.

Lakelin lives and works in London and is represented by Sarah Myerscough Gallery.