“There is a deep personal connection for me with my work.”

- Paul Vanstone

Paul Vanstone is a sculptor recognised for his expertise in marble carving and depiction of human figures and fabric using light and stone interplay. He studied at Central St. Martins School of Art and completed an MFA at the Royal College of Art. Vanstone worked as an assistant to Anish Kapoor for five years and has showcased his works at prestigious venues like the Tate Modern, British Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum. He has received accolades including the Henry Moore Award and notable commissions such as the Lady Carrington Sculpture Garden.

Can you share your journey into the arts and how it all began for you?

I have always loved walking and we did this a lot as a family and is something that I still do with my father to this day.  I also am a rock-climber and being immersed in nature is such a source of inspiration. For me, the physicality of making sculpture and stone carving is a joy in this regard as it is particularly intense on this level. I enjoy being at one with my tools and a piece of beautiful stone and creating.  I can lose myself entirely to this process and it is very relaxing for me when this happens. The total absorption of the process.  It is a very traditional and long-standing way of making artworks.  I think you can show your references but probably not where that takes you.

How would you define your artistic style? Is there a recognisable characteristic that defines?

My various subjects and the materials I use to portray them have a recognisable figure as a point of reference in my work.  A style is not what I have looked for but comes naturally as this is impossible to avoid when you are making the work. I would say that my work looks to classical sculpture and the British Museum as well as my annual trips to Crete are a constant source of inspiration.

What themes and messages do you strive to convey in your art, and how has this evolved over time?

The figure and how this can portray the human condition goes right back to the start of my career and is still true to this day. The work has changed over time with my constant investigations and explorations.  When you make one-of-a-kind sculptures the ingredients of weather, stone, mood will all effect each work. These will always keep changing and evolving.

Tell us about your upcoming exhibition, Colour & Form: Fresco, Drawings, and Sculpture, hosted at the Royal Geographical Society next month. How did this project come to fruition?

I have shown at the RGS a few times in the past and love the light that comes into the space.  It works well for my sculptures as I can show outside as well as inside. I have shown with Dineen on a few occasions and we love the interplay that shows between our work. We think these works when they come together really bring an interest and dynamic to our different practices.

What inspired the pieces that will be featured in the exhibition?

The works I will be showing are subjects I have worked with for many years. Namely Heads, Torsos, Silhouettes and Folding Cloth. I compulsively return to these subjects and find new ways of working with the stone to create something that has meaning for me.

Have you aimed to create any specific connections or synergy between the artworks showcased in this exhibition?

I often change the scale of my sculptures. The play between the different marbles and stones when working with the same subjects bring a synergy to the works on show here.  You can enjoy the different ways and different scales with which I have treated each subject, whether this is heads, torsos etc, and see how this works with the different stones.

What kind of experience do you hope visitors will have when they interact with your art?

I hope that the work has a direct emotional effect on the people. Working at a deep level of triggering emotion that we all have in the present, whilst simultaneously reaching back deep into our past as human beings, as these are subjects that artists have been grappling with over millennia.

Have there been any artists, past or present, who have significantly influenced your work?

Many years ago, I worked for Anish Kapoor, and his intense interest in materials and the various resonances they evoke has had an influence on me.

Along your artistic journey, what has been a particularly rewarding moment for you?

There is a deep personal connection for me with my work and it is a privilege when clients are inspired by my work and want to live their lives alongside my artworks, be it in their homes or gardens. 

Is there a piece of advice that has profoundly impacted your artistic pursuits?

I’m not sure whether a single piece of advice was handed down to me, but the piece of advice I would hand on to younger artists is to be honest and authentic in your artistic practise.  Do not follow trends or look to make work that is cool, just create work that really resonates with you.

Who is Paul Vanstone when you're not immersed in creating art?

I am parent to two wonderful children and child to wonderful parents; all of whom are a constant source of energy, fun and inspiration.

Muirne Kate Dineen and Paul Vanstone collaborate in ‘Colour and Form: Sculptures, Frescoes, and Drawings,' a joint exhibition currently displayed at the Royal Geographical Society until 19 December 2023.

Instagram: @paulvanstonesculpture. Website: paulvanstone.co.uk.