Benjamin C Dearnley
Sculptor
Ben Dearnley is a natural carver of stone. He was born in Salisbury in 1964 and has
been fascinated by Man’s desire to make his mark in stone since his earliest days.
His move to the Peninsular is to be connected to the land of his ancestors and draw
on its rich landscape and the ever-changing skies and seas for inspiration.
He fuses techniques of the sculpture masters of the past and uses a contemporary
approach to bring us a ‘Modern with tradition’ context to one of the most ancient
artistic practices. The combination of nature (the rock) and man, working in
harmony, brings about an almost alchemical transformation. One in which the final
sculpture stands alone and silent, and yet the viewer still seems to come away as if
having been in a conversation.
“My job now as I see it is to allow the creative energy I feel to flow through me and
become a part of the stone I carve. Only then am I able to place in the world a
sculpture which brings about a true celebration of this life, love and beauty which I
feel and which uplifts the inner spirit in us all. What better life can I ask for than
this?”
He has many works in both public and private collections around the world, with
clients in Los Angeles and Manhattan, USA, South Africa, and throughout Europe
and Australia. He has completed large public commissions in the cities of London,
Bath and Bristol, and has many corporate clients such as British Telecomm, Aviva
and Bacardi. His bronze portrait work is in The Royal Academy of Music, London.