About

Neil Wood is a professional sculptor and fine artist with many years' experience lecturing in fine art and sculpture at institutions in the UK. He has worked in various settings; in education, as artist-in-residence and visiting lecturer, alongside his practice producing sculpture for exhibition and public commissions.

Employing a Modernist methodology to explore the human condition in the 21st century, Neil uses the figure as a vehicle to experiment with materials and visual language. He attempts to express ideas about the world we inhabit and the nature of human experience and relationships.

'The making process is very important in my practice. Engaging with the materials, processes and techiques allows me to engage with the subject matter in a more visceral way, responding to the materials intuitively, which keeps the creative decision making active throughout the making of the work. I'm keen to does as much of the process myself including the lost wax bronze casting '.

Selected Biography

b-1963

education

Rochdale College of Art, Foundation Certificate in Art & Design, 1984-85

Wimbledon School of Art, BA Hons Degree in Fine Art – Sculpture, 1985-88

Keele University, MA Visual Art in Contemporary Culture (Theory), 1995-97

Staffordshire University, PGCE Level 7 DTTLS, 2008-09

exhibitions

Cannizaro Park, London, group exhibition, 1986- 88

Carters Gallery, Cheshire, solo exhibition, 1991

Ridware Art Centre, Staffordshire, solo open-air exhibition, 1991

Wedgwood Memorial College, Staffordshire, permanent collection, 1991

Custard Factory, Birmingham, group exhibition, 1994

Shelton Studio Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, solo exhibition, 1995

Hanover Gallery, Liverpool, solo exhibition, 1996

Big Peg Gallery, Birmingham, solo exhibition, 1996

Chancellors Gallery, Keele University, group exhibition, 1998

Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, group exhibition, 1998

Coombes Contemporary, London, group exhibition, 2000

No9 The Gallery, Birmingham, group exhibition, 2001&02

Friary Gallery, Lichfield, solo exhibition, 2001&02

Bruton Street Gallery, London, group exhibition, 2002

Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, Accurate, group exhibition, 2003

Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, group exhibition, 2008

The Art Lounge Gallery, Birmingham, group exhibition, 2008-09

Biscuit Factory Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, group exhibition, 2008-09

Artwave West Summer Exhibition, Dorset, group exhibition, 2018

Francis Iles Gallery, Quarterly Collection Exhibition, Rochester, group exhibition 2018

The British Art Fair, The Saatchi Gallery, London, represented by Katherine House Gallery 2018

London Art Fair , Business Design Centre, London 2019

Bircham Gallery, Norfolk, group exhibition 2019

'Form & Promise II' Foss Fine Art, London, group exhibition 2019

London Art Fair , Business Design Centre, London 2020

'Essence' Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, group exhibition 2020

'Form' Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester, group exhibition, 2020

'Nexus' Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, group exhibition 2020

'Equinox' Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, group exhibition 2021

'100 Things' Katherine House Gallery, Marlborough, group exhibition, 2021

'Littoral' Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, group exhibition 2021

'Showcase at Spring', Cheltenham group exhibition 2022

'Legacy' Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester, group exhibition 2022

VERTO , solo exhibition, Spring Gallery Cheltenham 2022

Guest Artist, The Sculpture Gallery, Leeds, May 2024

Modern British Art, Group Exhibition, David Simon Contemporary, Oct 2024

Manchester Art Fair, Saul Hay Gallery, Nov 2024

Luminous, Group Exhibition, Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, Nov/Dec 2024

Group Exhibition, Gallagher & Tuner, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Nov/Dec 2024

public commissions

‘Mercury’ Goodyear UK Ltd, Wolverhampton, large public sculpture commission, 1998

‘Walking Together’ Diocese of Lichfield, St Nicholas’s Church, site specific commission, 2002

‘Violin’ Safeway’s supermarket, Greater Manchester, large scale public commission, 2003

Pritchard Holdings, Staffs Technology Park, two major public sculpture commissions, 2003-04

‘Heritage’ Cannock Council, Sculpture Commemorating Mining Industry, Unveiled by Arts Minister Estelle Morris, 2004

‘Falcon’ Pritchard Holdings, Cannock, 6 metre sculpture, 2005

‘Wedding Party’ Birmingham City Council, New Central Registry Office, 2005

‘The Glow Tree’ Oxford City Council, 6 metre community arts project & commission, 3006

Laser Process Ltd, 3 metre public sculpture, 2005/6

‘Together We Can Fly’ Pendeford College, Wolverhampton, Workshops & commission, 2007

Hilllstone Primary, Birmingham, workshop & sculpture commission, 2007

The Upper House, Barlaston, Staffs,sculpture commission 'First Dance' 2015

GE Grid Solutions UK, Three sculpture commission, 2016

Stafford Borough Council & Beacon Business Park, Public Sculpture Commission, 2017

lecturing

Staffordshire University, p/t lecturer in bronze casting (summer schools), 1992.93.94

Staffordshire University, p/t lecturer in sculpture and drawing, 1994-95

Stafford College, p/t lecturer in figurative sculpture, 1994-98

Stafford College, Head of HND Fine Art & Sculpture, 1999-04

Frink School of Figurative Sculpture, Visiting Lecturer & workshop coordinator, 2005

Stafford College, Part Time lecturer, Art & Design, 2006

Edexcel, GCSE External Moderator in Art & Design, 2008-09

Stafford College, Course leader – FdA Contemporary Art Practice, 2009-14

Stafford College, HE Coordinator, 2010-14

projects & collaborations

Artists Newsletter, series of six articles on sculpture techniques, 1993-95

Oxford University Press, book cover illustration, 2001

Oxford City Council, Collaborative community arts project, workshops & mentoring, 2006

Pendeford College, Wolverhampton, Collaborative community arts project & workshops, 2007

Hilllstone Primary, Birmingham, workshop & sculpture commission, 2007

Shugborough Estate – Organiser of open-air sculpture trail, 2010 & 11

Open Art 07Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, Selector & Judge, 2007

Making Moves Craft Commissions, Programme Selector and Educational Partner, 2012

STart. Coordinator of Heritage Art Trail, Stafford, 2013

Broken Mould Studios Founder/Director, 2013 – present

Broken Mould Studios – Armatures for Sculpture Workshops, 2014

Sculpture Village, Southwell, Notts, Sculpture Trail & Workshops, 2014

Open Art 14Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, Selector & Judge, 2014

Artist in Residence, Dean Oakes School, Wimslow, 2015