Alison Crowther

Alison Crowther
Passage I, 2016, and Passage II, 2016
Artist initials and date carved into bench
English Oak
120 x 30 x 42 cm
3ft 11 x 1ft x 1ft 4 ½ in.

Alison Crowther is a sculptor and furniture marker who lives and works in Hampshire. Working exclusively with English Oak, Crowther’s practice is primarily concerned with embracing the natural characteristics of her material. Using tools that range from chainsaws to the finest chisels, she observes and responds to the texture, density, grain, and growth pattern of the Oak. Each work is meticulously handcrafted with Oak that is sourced from responsibly managed woodlands within the South Downs National Park.

Born in Keighly, West Yorkshire, Alison Crowther studied 3-Dimensional Design at Buckingham College and then went on to her MA in Furniture Design at the Royal College of Art, London. Her first major commission was for Steep Common in Petersfield, with Seat encircling a tree. Crowther has gone on to do many commissions, including Lover’s Seat at Chatsworth Park in Derbyshire; Modular Benches for the Cass Foundation in Chichester; Winging Bench for Linford Wood for the Essex Wildlife Trust, and most recently Place2Be Seats designed for Securing Tomorrow Garden by Jamie Butterworth for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2022. In 2017 Crowther was selected to join the Royal British Society of Sculptors, and also works in Arts Council England, Southeast.

Selected Solo and group exhibitions include The Unexpected Too, 2002, Sotheby’s, New York City; Inside/Out, 2003, Contemporary Applied Arts, London; Alison Crowther: The Ripple Effect, 2008, Canary Wharf, London; Collect, 2009, The Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea, London; Fresh Air, Quentington Sculpture Exhibition, 2015, Cirencester, Gloucestershire; and Hearts of Oak, 2015, Bedales Arts Autumn Exhibition, Petersfield, Hampshire.

Crowther’s work is included in several public collections, including Winchester Cathedral; Three Pacific Place, Hong Kong; One Shenzhen Bay; The Rothschild Collection; Canary Wharf Group Art Collection; and Glyndebourne.