Deborah van der Beek
As an art student in London, Cambridge and Cardiff, van der Beek combined
a lifelong compulsion to draw with the creation of sculptural ceramics. She
then went on to a 25-year career in illustrating, and latterly also writing,
children’s books, before returning to sculpting in the 1990’s.
Her sculpture is a compelling mixture of powerful thematic content and
confident, expressive handling of form. Many of her works relate to
ecological concerns and the ravages of humanity on the world and the
intricate surfaces of her bronzes are encrusted with found objects which add
to their potency and meaning.