David Nash Works | Bio | Press | Exhibition Views
British, b. 1945
Lives and works in Wales
In a career spanning forty years, British sculptor David Nash has engaged in a focused and singular pursuit, seeking to understand the nature of place through the creation of sculpture in the dominant medium of wood. Living in the rugged countryside of northern Wales, he crafts his sculptures based on both the growth patterns and characteristics of the trees, as well as his concerns for the formal elements of contemporary sculpture. The resulting works are poetically carved, sawn and charred until they reach the artist’s desire shape, texture and color. The violence of his tools—a chain saw, an axe and fire—belies the grace of the final work. For Nash, the artistic process itself is deeply collaborative between artist and material, place and perception. He adopts a responsive and adaptable approach, allowing nature to dictate the direction that his works will take.
Nash has been the subject of major exhibitions at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, U.K. (2010); Kew Gardens, London, U.K. (2013); Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI (2014); and National Museum Cardiff, Wales (2019). His work is held in the collections of many international institutions including: Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; San Jose Museum of Art, CA; St. Louis Art Museum, MI; de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, Wales; National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; Tate Modern, London, U.K.; and Victoria & Albert Museum, London, U.K.