Why tigers, elephants and rhinos have taken up residence at Yorkshire sculpture park

The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park has unveiled its first “Sculpture in the Landscape" exhibition with 60 new sculptures curated from artists from across the UK. Nestled in the 45 acres of serene landscapes of Ripon, the exhibition is an immersive journey through the marriage of art and nature.

The Garden is known for its picturesque settings and innovative artistic showcase of 90 permanent sculptures.

"This dynamic new exhibition, showcases a diverse array of sculptures that harmonize with the natural beauty of the landscape,” says Sasha Jackson-Brown, Estate and Operations Manager

“It s the first time we have organised artists in this way and we have been impressed with the number and variety of artists who have come forward.” The Himalayan Gardens posted a request for artists and sculptors to come forward to be a part of the new exhibition on the online platform OESS (Open Exhibition Submission & Selection)

"We have had artists from across the country and are so pleased we have been able to use every single one – after making sure they were all okay to be outside. From monumental installations to intricate pieces, each sculpture invites visitors to engage with the environment in a unique and thought-provoking manner,” says Sasha.

"We are delighted to present this exhibition, celebrating the intersection of art and nature," remarked Will Roberts, whose parents Peter and Caroline Roberts created the gardens before forming the charitable trust to open them up to the public.

"This year's exhibition features a rich tapestry of creative expressions, offering visitors an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of both the sculptural and natural worlds and provides a platform for established and emerging artists to showcase their talent while fostering dialogue about the environment, culture, and society."

Robert and his wife Sophie curated the exhibition and spent a lot of time deciding there each new sculpture would sit best among the gardens.

The Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park spans 45 acre, the park features an exquisite collection of Himalayan plants with a national collection of Rhododendrons, alongside captivating sculptures by artists from around the world. Winner of multiple awards, including the Yorkshire in Bloom Gold Award, the Garden offers visitors a unique blend of tranquility, inspiration, and artistic discovery.

Visitors can expect to encounter sculptures crafted from a myriad of materials, each telling a unique story and inviting reflection upon the human connection to the landscape and promises to be an enriching experience for art enthusiasts, nature lovers, and families alike offering an unforgettable artistic journey.

The exhibition introduces artists from as far afield as the Scottish Highlands, Powys in Wales, Norfolk and the South of England as well as Yorkshire.

Among the Yorkshire artists is Leilah Vyner, who owns Willow Dragon (dragonwillow.co.uk) near Tadcaster who has created a Snow Tiger - not something you would normally associate with the North Yorkshire countryside.

“I was inspired by the Himalayan Garden itself,” she says. “I’d actually never been before or even heard of it but when I went I was amazed and just knew I had to do a Siberian White Tiger,” says Leilah.

“They are endangered and fitted so will with the Yeti den at the Himalayan Gardens – it is like the tiger is the Yeti’s kitty.”

Leilah started by making sketch of her snow tiger and then scaled it up before making her own wire frame.

"I then made a willow frame and started weaving," she explains. “I only used natural willow and the white willow will go a dappled grey.” The entire sculpture took her just over a week.

Another Yorkshire sculptor taking part in the exhibition is Chris Moss from Harrogate whose wire mesh sculpture of apples – Fallen Fruit – are a departure from her normal work.

“Apples and fruit generally are a change of direction for me as I more usually make birds and animals,” she says.

"But I saw a chance to fabricate a simpler sculptural form and play with the spatial relationships within a group of three similar objects. I was drawn to the satisfying round shapes but they’re not perfect spheres.

"it was when I picked up an apple and studied it, I remembered Cezanne’s series of still life paintings with apples where he’d enjoyed the arrangements of the forms and the space between them but had also painted each apple’s individual quirks, he’d painted their portraits in effect. So my apples like Cezanne’s are deliberately imperfect.”

Chris says that although apples are culturally loaded with symbolism her perspective is a simpler concept of ‘harvest’.

"A few years ago we moved house and were able to turn part of the lawn into a micro meadow and the other part into a mini-orchard. We have the joy of blossom followed by fruit and I like to leave a few of the fallen fruits for birds and insects and watching the natural process of decay adds to the fascination.

"Not something that will happen in the case of my metal mesh sculptures, the fruits are preserved, ‘immortalised’ at a particular stage of development as part of the celebration of this natural cycle.”

Chris Moss will also be showing work in North Yorkshire Open Studios and at the Yorkshire Show Art Gallery in July.

“Sculpture in the Landscape” is open to the public from now until the end of October 2024 during normal opening hours.

For more information about the Exhibition and the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park visit www.himalayangarden.com