Kendra Haste, Surrey, England
The best things come to those who wait, and Kendra Haste’s sculptures are a case in point: an exercise in patient construction, with spectacular results. The world-renowned sculptor works in galvanised wire and constructs her animals from the spine outwards.
“I start by observing,” she says. “I’m lucky enough to have travelled to Africa and India to look at animals in their natural habitat, and I spend a lot of time in zoos.” Next come painstaking sketches. Only then is she ready to start twisting the light, delicate wiring. “I look very closely at anatomy and musculature – and I’m fascinated with how they move,” she says. “What I love is trying to capture the spirit and essence of the animal.”
Pieces can take months, but sat happily in her Surrey studio, Kendra barely notices the hours go by. “It’s a very fulfilling process,” she says. “The medium is great to work with. The lightness and the holes in the mesh, as you build them up in layers, give a real lightness of touch. I love the fact that it also gets me involved in conservation projects. Raising awareness to help species in danger is really gratifying, too.”