Ben Dearnley
Sculptor
Ben was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1964 and spent much of his life surrounded by music. His late father, Dr Christopher Dearnley, was the organist of St Paul's Cathedral from 1968 - 1989. From an early age he has been exposed to music and sculpture on a monumental scale. He is also inspired by the Masters of the past: Rodin, Michelangelo and Canova, who are the motivating forces behind his work as a sculptor.
Ben graduated from the Camberwell College of Art in 2006. Since then, he has exhibited a number of bronze portraits at London's Royal Academy of Music and the Royal School of Church Music. He also exhibits at contemporary art galleries in London.
With the build up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Ben is currently exploring the world of Britain's top athletes. He plans to create a series of sculptures to honour their achievements and reflect their excellence within their sport.
Ben says: "Working with Steve Williams, Debbie Flood and Ade Adeptan MBE has been a joy for me and a great honour. With these sculptures I have tried to capture one aspect of their commitment to be the best in the world at what they do. Each work is a collaboration with the athlete to gain an understanding of their body's action and to capture the 'moment' in a fragmented form. They are today's Modern Day Heroes."
Ben was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1964 and spent much of his life surrounded by music. His late father, Dr Christopher Dearnley, was the organist of St Paul's Cathedral from 1968 - 1989. From an early age he has been exposed to music and sculpture on a monumental scale. He is also inspired by the Masters of the past: Rodin, Michelangelo and Canova, who are the motivating forces behind his work as a sculptor.
Ben graduated from the Camberwell College of Art in 2006. Since then, he has exhibited a number of bronze portraits at London's Royal Academy of Music and the Royal School of Church Music. He also exhibits at contemporary art galleries in London.
With the build up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Ben is currently exploring the world of Britain's top athletes. He plans to create a series of sculptures to honour their achievements and reflect their excellence within their sport.
Ben says: "Working with Steve Williams, Debbie Flood and Ade Adeptan MBE has been a joy for me and a great honour. With these sculptures I have tried to capture one aspect of their commitment to be the best in the world at what they do. Each work is a collaboration with the athlete to gain an understanding of their body's action and to capture the 'moment' in a fragmented form. They are today's Modern Day Heroes."
