Marjan Wouda

I am a sculptor and visual artist, with work spread far and wide, from New Zealand to the Caribbean and the US. Originally from the Netherlands, I trained at art colleges in London and Manchester. I live in Darwen, a town very much marked by the industral revolution, in the West Pennine Hills of Lancashire.

Most of my work starts with a story; while it often features an animal, my true motivation is exploring the human predicament in a way that is engaging, accessible and a little curious. I believe that an animal in a deliberate pose can draw us in and let us ponder.  

I love the adventure of the making process, exploring materials and allowing them their voice: delighting in cardboard (distressed and torn), clay (raw, textured and lumpy), ink (splattered or soaked up into thick wet paper), or charcoal (smudged, rubbed, re-drawn and crushed underfoot).  

My work varies in scale enormously, from small sand-cast bronzes or (sometimes) unique pieces cast through the lost-wax process, to drawings and monumental work in sheet metal or rod. I particularly enjoy making work for outdoor spaces be they gardens or the (wild) public realm.