Nic Fiddian-Green

Nic Fiddian-Green (born 1963)[1] is a British sculptor, who specialises is making lifelike models of horses' heads, both smaller and larger than life-sized.[2]

Nic Fiddian-Green
Born1963 (age 57–58)
Ireland
OccupationSculptor

Early life
Head of the horse of Selene, which inspired Fiddian-Green, with the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum

Born in Ireland,[3] Fiddian-Green was educated at Eton College. Later, as a foundation-course student at Chelsea College of Arts he was sent on a visit to the British Museum to seek inspiration,[2] and chanced upon a carving of horse's head, the horse of Selene,[4] in the Elgin Marbles room there.[2] He described it as "one of the most beautiful objects I'd ever seen". Shortly afterwards, he began to make works of similar subjects.[2]

Career
Still Water

One of his larger works, Horse at Water was installed temporarily at Marble Arch in London. Once it was moved to Daylesford, Gloucestershire, the home of Lord and Lady Bamford, who had commissioned it, he was asked to make a larger version,[5] Still Water (2011; 33 feet (10 m) tall),[2] to replace it.

His first protest artwork, Serenity is installed on a hill by the A3 at Claygate, Surrey. Made of lead, it is intended to be a "monument of calm" for drivers.[6][7]

Fiddian-Green works from a studio in the stable block at Wintershall, Surrey, using the horses there as life models.[2] He casts bronze outdoors, using a mobile kiln, in the woods there. He also works in clay and riveted sheet metal,[2] soapstone, and Carrara and Connemara marble.[4]

He has exhibited at The Sladmore Gallery, who represent him, in London,[8] and has works installed at Royal Ascot,[9] Goodwood,[10] Knowsley Hall, Glyndebourne, Wellington College (Copenhagen, the Duke of Wellington's horse, 2012), and at the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's private stables; plus three at Nevill Holt, at the home of Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross[1]

He also models non-equine subjects, for example Christ Rests in Peace is a representation of the head of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, in lead and gold leaf, measuring 4-by-8-foot (1.2 m × 2.4 m) is at Southwark Cathedral.[11]

Besides the UK, his works are in Russia, Kazakhstan, America, the middle East, and Australia.[10]

Personal life

In 2006, he underwent six months of chemotherapy to treat leukaemia.[5]

His partner Henrietta is a horsewoman.[2] They live in an 18th-century cottage on the Surrey Downs, with an adjacent cowshed, formerly his studio, converted as an extension.[5] They have four children[5] and six horses.[1]

Bibliography
  • Nic Fiddian-Green – Recent Sculpture, Nic Fiddian-Green, Gerry Farrell (1999)
  • Nic Fiddian Green, 2010 Nic Fiddian-Green (Author), Harry Cory Wright (Photographer), ISBN 978-0956756800

References
  1. Hudson, Violet (May 2013). "Man Meets Horse". Tatler: 144.
  2. "Surrey". Countryfile. 12 January 2014. BBC.
  3. "Still Water at Marble Arch". Marble Arch London. 11 August 2020.
  4. "Nic Fiddian-Green". Hedge (27): 19. November 2013.
  5. Bridgewater, Daisy (6 June 2013). "Interiors: Nic Fiddian-Green's idyllic family home". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  6. "Monument of Calm". News in Pictures. 20 February 2018. The Times.
  7. "What is an enormous horse's head statue doing next to the A3?". GetSurrey. 20 February 2018. GetSurrey.
  8. Thompson, Damian (30 November 1996). "Gethsemane is behind the rhododendrons". Weekend Telegraph.
  9. "Royal Ascot shows a nose for art". Financial Times. 15 June 2013. p. 1.
  10. Farrell, Gerry. "Introduction". Nic Fiddian Green. The Sladmore Gallery. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  11. "Christ Rests in Peace". Nic Fiddian Green. The Sladmore Gallery. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
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