“A modern master of the medium of stone carving”
Tim Marlow, Art critic
“Moreton’s work is distinguished by sensitive carving of exceptional skill, he understands and imparts an inanimate piece of stone with a soul”
Peter Webb, Art historian and author
Nicolas Moreton is one of our leading contemporary stone sculptors living and working in Britain today. Having worked stone for 35 years he still believes that it is the intimate conversation you have between the stone,tool and mind that allows the sculpture to possess a personality and a voice.
Nicolas is an elected member of the Royal Society of Sculptors. He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy, ING Discerning Eye, MKG Gallery and the Chelsea Flower Show and his work is collected worldwide, with major public art works in London, Dublin, Yorkshire, and Milton Keynes.
Selected Biography
1981 - 82 Nene College School of Art and Design, Northampton
1982 - 85 BA Hons in Fine Art (sculpture) Wolverhampton Polytechnic
1986 Became self employed fine art sculptor
1995 Elected member of the Royal Society of Sculptors
2006 Brian Mercer International Residency, Pietrasanta, Italy.
2010 National Sculpture Prize, Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool
Commissions
1987 25th Jubilee sculpture Weston Favell Upper School, Northampton.
1995 The Conversation Milton Keynes City Square
1995 The Meeting Milton Keynes City Square
1998-2000 Abington Street Project. Northampton Town Centre
2000 Visionary Millennium Sculpture, University College Northampton
2005 Cefn Stone Circle Project. Monmouthshire. (budget £100,000)
2007 Shortlisted for Millfield School Commission, Somerset.
Shortlisted for a Gateway Commission for Northampton.
Rock International Bank, Mayfair, London. Commissioned by Kelly
Hoppen Interiors.
2008 Four sculptures for Northampton Central Museum
2009 Dominicanes Private Commission. London
2010 Public Commission at Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire
2011 Memorial Private Commission London
2011/12 Church Green, London Commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church
2012 Commission for The Stone Roses.
2015 In the Beginning UK Private Commission.
2016 Connecting forces USA Private Commission
2018/19 Pinnacle Clonkeen College, Blackrock, Co.Dublin Ireland
Awards
1993 Shortlisted for Henry Moore Fellowship, University of Kent
1995 1st Prize Northamptonshire Contemporary Open
Shortlisted for Henry Moore Fellowship, John Moores University,
Southern Arts Regional Arts Lottery Grant for Sculptor in Residence
2004 East Midlands Arts Council Grant for Sculptor in Residence at Southwell
Minster,Southwell.
2005 New Partnership, Art and Business Award.
Arts Council grant for Artist in Residence at Gloucester Cathedral
2005 Arts Council grant for Artist in Residence at Manchester Cathedral.
2006 Brian Mercer International Residency, Pietrasanta, Italy.
2007 Community Champion Award, East Midlands.
2010 People’s Choice Award, National Sculpture Prize, Liverpool
Solo Exhibitions
2021-22 Making a Mark New College, Oxford
2018 Towards Totality Messum’s Fine Art,London
2017 Messums Fine Art. Marlow and London
2014-22 RHS Chelsea Flower Show London
2004/6 National Stone Carving Touring exhibition around English Cathedrals.
Commencing July 2004, Southwell Minster. Gloucester, Lincoln and
Manchester Cathedral
2004 Touch Stones Hutson Gallery. London.
2002 Passages The Formal Gardens, Longleat House Wiltshire
2001 New Bronzes Peter Gwyther Gallery, London
1999 Elements Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland, Leicestershire .
1997 Pregnant Stone Goldmark Gallery, Rutland, Leicestershire .
1996 The Passion of Life Lamont Gallery, London
1995 Stonecarving Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland, Leicestershire
1993 Sense of Stone Hunt Jennings Gallery London
1991 Mall Galleries, London. Guest Artist
Selected Exhibitions from 2003-2022
2022 Summer Exhibition, Moncrief Bray Gallery Sussex
Sculpture at Lord’s Wood. Messums Fine Art, Marlow
Palais des Vaches, Exbury, Southampton
Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Surrey
Sculpture at Withel, Lemon Street Gallery, Cornwall
Mosaic Gallery, Woburn, Bedfordshire
2021 On Form 21 Unlocked Asthall, Oxfordshire
Sculpture at Kingham. Kingham Lodge, Oxfordshire
Summer Exhibition. Moncreiff Bray Gallery, Sussex
Altered Images. Shaw House, Newbury
Sculpture at Lord’s Wood. Messum’s Fine Art. Marlow,
RHS Chelsea Flower Show. London
Windsor Contemporary Art Fair, Windsor
2020 On Form 20, Asthall, Oxfordshire (virtual Exhibition)
ING Discerning Eye.The Mall Galleries.London.(virtual exhibition)
Messum’s Fine Art, The Studio, Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
2019 Sculpture in the Garden Borde Hill Gardens Sussex
The Sculpture Garden Odney Club, Cookham, Berkshire
Conversations in Sculpture. Huddersfield Art Gallery,Yorkshire
Sculpture at The Studio. Messum’s Fine Art Marlow, Buckinghamshire
2018 Messum’s Fine Art, London
On Form18, Asthall Manor, Asthall, Oxfordshire
Summer Exhibition, Moncrieff Gallery, Sussex
Sculpture at Kingham Lodge, Oxfordshire
Hannah Peschar Sculpture Gallery, Ockley, Surrey
Henley Art Week
2017 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Sculpture at Messums, Messums Gallery, London
Goldmark Gallery,Uppingham, Rutland.
2016 Sculpture at Lord’s Wood, Messum’s, Marlow
Flora and Fauna Mount Pleasant Gardens, Cheshire
Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
Sculpture at Kingham Lodge, Oxon
2015 Moncrieff Gallery, Sussex
Alfred East Gallery, Kettering, Northamptonshire
St Marks Hall, Coggleshall, Essex
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
GROW, Hampstead, London
2014 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Doddington Hall, Linclonshire
GROW, Hampstead, London
Parallex Art Fair, London
2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park
Cookham Arts Festival
Moncrieff Gallery Sussex
Coughton House and Gardens, Warwickshire
Landscape Show 2013, Battersea, London
2012 On Form 2012, Asthall, Oxfordshire
20/21st Century Artfair. RCA, London
The Jose Art Fair, London
Artspace, Henley
Artbeat 2012 Woburn Abbey, Buckinghamshire
Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
Moncreiff Gallery, Surrey
2011 International Sculpture, Pietrasanta, Italy
FreshAir 2011, Quenington, Gloucestershire
The Grove, Watford, Hertfordshire
Moncreiff Gallery, Sussex
Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
2010 National Sculpture Prize Liverpool
On Form 2010 Asthall, Oxfordshire
Thompson’s Gallery, London
The Garden Gallery, Hampshire
Art de Jarden, Oakham, Rutland
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland.
2009 London Art Fair (Robert Bowman Gallery)
Art Contact, Limberhurst, Cambridge
Art de Jarden, Oakham Rutland
Goldmark Gallery Uppingham, Rutland
Sculpture show, Thompson Gallery, London
2008 London Art Fair (Robert Bowman Gallery)
On Form 2008, Asthall, Oxfordshire
Chelsea Flower show (Robert Bowman Gallery)
Touching Art Touching You. Royal Cornwall Museum
Art London, London
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland
2007 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Robert Bowman Gallery, London.
Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham.
Spectrum, Abbey House, Wiltshire.
Sculpture in the Garden, Leicester University
Festival of Sculpture, Guernsey
2006 Stone Royal British Society of Sculptors, London.
Cadogan Contemporary, London
Goldmark Gallery, Rutland, Leicestershire
RHS Show, Tatton, Manchester
Sense and Sensuality, Bankside Gallery, London
2005 The Kiss Spectrum Gallery.London
Art4Life Christies,London
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park, Surrey
Sculpture in the planning Millfield School, Somerset
2004 Art4Life Christies, London
House and Garden Exhibition. Justin Gardner Gallery, Olympia London
Sculpture in Paradise. Chichester Cathedral, Chichester
Asian Lifestyle Festival. Invited artist. Olympia. London
Hutson Gallery, London
2003 Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park.Surrey
Royal British Society of Sculptors Summer Exhibition. London
Summer exhibition. Hutson Gallery. London
Pride of the Valley Sculpture Park London Exhibition. London
Discerning Eye, London
Collections
Sir and Lady Alment
Lord Archer
George Melly
Brian Sewell
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
Burghley Sculpture Collection
Longleat House Collection
Stone Roses
Hermes Properties
Clonkeen College
Work can be found in many other private collections worldwide:
Australia, Belgium, France, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Switzerland, South Africa New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America
Educational Workshops and Talks
University College of Northampton, Northampton
2008 – 2010. Ran carving workshops to encourage students on the Fine Art Course to consider using stone as an option to make sculpture. Long Term Objective is that a permanent carving area will be established.
The Old Dairy Farm Craft Centre, Northampton
2008-2019 Run summer two/three day carving workshops. Objective: to encourage anyone to have a go at stone carving with the vision of carrying it on after the course.
Northampton School for Boys
2008/2009. Set up and implemented carving sessions in a state school for 14-18 year olds. This school has now bought 20 carving sets.
National Carving Tour:
Fermynwoods Gallery, Corby
University of Hertfordshire
Southwell Minster, Southwell
Gloucester Cathedral
Middlesex University
Manchester University
2004-2006 Objective: to raise the awareness of stone carving by making one site specific work in full view of the public in the building. Complimented by talks and a National Carving tour
Stone carving events/workshops/talks and lectures to promote the virtues of stone carving and sculpture:
Blakesley Primary School, Northampton
Blisworth Community Primary School, Northampton
Interaction, Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire Association of blind and partially sighted people.
Royal Society of Sculptors, London
St. Paul’s School, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Longleat House, Wiltshire
Mytholmroyd, Calderdale Valley, South Yorkshire
Sywell Primary School, Northampton
Van Dyke School, Leighton Buzzard
Weavers School, Wellingborough.
Weston Favell Upper School, Northampton
University of Hertfordshire
Huddersfield Art Gallery