Flowers Gallery
It took my friend and me few galleries to randomly step into this one. And even though we didn’t expect what we’ve found I was quite happy about not stopping on the ground floor because in that case, I would never know about this young talented artist Nicola Hicks. Even though the ground floor was full of Patrick Hughes incredible optical and visual illusions, I fell in love with Hicks and her plaster and straw technique. The sculptures look so rough but on the other hand so fragile and delicate.
The one exhibited in Flowers is called Mama Bear.
One of the most striking aspects of Hicks’s work is her idiosyncratic use of plaster and straw in large-scale sculpture, materials which she discovered early in her career. The viscous texture and rough finish of the medium allow Hicks to bring the ‘’sketchy’, handled qualities of drawing into her sculpture.
Inspired by her experience of working and travelling abroad, particularly in India and Australia, many of Hicks’s sculptures possess a dark and peculiar narrative in their lively, expressive poses and sometimes suggestive titles.
More info about the artist:
https://www.abbothall.org.uk/exhibitions/nicola-hicks-sculpture-drawing-and-light
https://www.flowersgallery.com/artists/view/nicola-hicks
Semper Fortis Kris 