SCULPTURE TRAIL 2025

Taking part in this year’s Sculpture Trail are the colourful and flamboyant artist Andrew Logan MBE, Shropshire based artists Halima Cassell MBE and Jacob Chandler, and Laura Ford - President of the Royal Society of Sculptors.

 

Andrew Logan, who’s eye-catching ‘Cosmic Egg’ and ‘Excalibur’ were part of the first Shrewsbury Arts Trail sculpture trail back in 2022, will be exhibiting a large-scale flower sculpture, ‘Black Rose’ this year, which will rise up from The Dingle Pond. The piece, which has its roots in a 1930s style Kensington roof garden of the mid 1970s, may set a more sombre mood, which is unusual for the sculptor, who is known for his use of vivid colours, but as he says, ‘black is a very important colour’.

 

Halima Cassell MBE’s monumental 8ft-high iron sculptures, ‘Memento Mori’, will remain on display outside Shrewsbury Castle throughout the Trail. Complementing these is her internationally celebrated installation ‘Virtues of Unity’, featured as part of the ‘Inspirational Exhibition’ at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.

​

‘Virtues of Unity’ is a profound and evolving exploration of shared humanity. The installation comprises hand-carved vessels made from clays sourced from across the world—each representing a specific virtue such as ‘Courage’, ‘Wisdom’, or ‘Serendipity’. With every exhibition, the installation grows; new pieces are added, reflecting an ever-expanding global dialogue. The version on display in Shrewsbury now features 60 unique sculptures, making this presentation distinct from any previously seen.

​

The work has been exhibited at major institutions, including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge (Things of Beauty Growing, 2017–18) and Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village in Surrey (From the Earth, 2023), and continues to gain international recognition for its universal message and exceptional craftsmanship.

​

Leading UK female contemporary sculptor Halima, who has a studio just outside Craven Arms, is also part of a team shortlisted to create a national memorial for Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park near The Mall.

 

Jacob Chandler’s sculpture, ‘Exploration of Flat Land’ in The Dingle, explores a more minimalist style and is closer to abstraction than much of his body of work.

​

Short runs of smaller “prototypes” in this body of work explore the interplay between different and often contrasting metals.

Jacob’s collaboration with Byrga Geniht, which forms part of the ‘Inspirational Exhibition’ in the Museum and Art Gallery is a ‘highly symbolic’ gold plated bronze, in geometric form. The piece draws inspiration from the vision of the Roman Emperor Constantine and also ‘scholastic endeavour’ rooted in sixteenth century Shropshire.

​

Shrewsbury-born Jacob has previously exhibited all over the world, including in New York, London and Athens, and was commissioned to create ‘One Giant Leap for Humankind’, a stainless-steel sculpture of a bladed athlete, displayed at Birmingham New Street Station since the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

​

Laura Ford’s work is represented in many public collections, including The Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her three, child-sized bronze figures ‘Nature Girls’, comprising ‘Conifer Girl’, ‘Bush Girl’ and ‘Stump Girl’ will be displayed in the courtyard outside the café at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. Laura’s work is simultaneously charming, surprising and unsettling and is sure to provoke an emotional response.

​

Visitors are urged to take a trip around the museum to see another of Laura’s pieces, ‘Bedtime Boy’, standing shyly by the Corbett Bed in the Tudor Gallery. 

​

The inclusion of Virtues of Unity in this year’s Sculpture Trail has been made possible through the generous support and loan arrangements facilitated by The Soden Collection. Based in Shrewsbury, the gallery has a longstanding relationship with Halima Cassell and has been instrumental in bringing her work to the region. The Soden Collection has also supported the inclusion of fellow exhibiting artist Jacob Chandler, reflecting the gallery’s wider commitment to nurturing and showcasing contemporary British sculpture.

​

Cultural events like the Shrewsbury Arts Trail depend not only on the vision and creativity of the artists but also on the vital partnerships with galleries such as The Soden Collection—whose ongoing support ensures that important contemporary works can be experienced by the wider public. 

 

SCULPTURE LOCATIONS

‘Memento Mori’ – Halima Cassell, Shrewsbury Castle grounds

‘Black Rose’ – Andrew Logan, The Dingle, Quarry Park

‘Exploration of Flat Land’ – Jacob Chandler, The Dingle, Quarry Park

‘Nature Girls’ – Laura Ford, The Courtyard, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery

​