Sensuality in Stone ’24
I am delighted to be taking part in Sensuality in Stone at the J/M Gallery in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road alongside Aly Brown, Kim Francis and Ana Ruiz Agüí from 19-24th September. Aly, Kim and Ana are old friends and colleagues from various shows but particularly from on form, Europe’s most prestigious stone-only sculpture exhibition held bi-annually at Asthall Manor in The Cotswolds.
We will each be exhibiting 5 pieces of our work and I will be bringing my newest Sacro corallo rose, carved from rose alabaster along with…
A new female head carved from Champagne onyx…
Here we are Les Gurls, from left, me, Ana, Aly and Kim
One of my Duende pieces, left, with Ana’s Solitude
this is Sussurro (whisper) carved from Champagne onyx
Special neon for the show
Serenity, Arcobaleno marble
Sacro corallo rose, rose alabaster in her new home
Special guests, the Kimono Chicks, Mitsu and Ori
Sept ’24
Mel, by Flusso I, at on form 16 with attentive visitors
Mel Fraser has been creating contemporary stone sculpture from her studio outside Cambridge, UK for more than 20 years. She has been a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors since 2017.
In 2024 Mel will be exhibiting at the London Art Fair in Islington from January 16-21st with Gallery Different, at Art at the Park, Braxted Park, Essex, 2-4th February, at the Affordable Art Fair at Battersea Park March 6-10th with fresh out of the box Kingsford Gallery, at Delamore Arts in Devon throughout the month of May, at Moncrieff-Bray in Petworth, Sussex from May 3rd to June 15th, at the Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, 8-12th May.
Mel will be opening her studio during the month of July as part of Cambridge Open Studios.
Mel is also exhibiting at the J/M Gallery in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road alongside Aly Brown, Kim Francis and Ana Ruiz Agüí from 19-24th September.
To find out more about more about Mel please visit The Words page and to start viewing her stunning contemporary stone sculptures go to The Work.
To plan a visit to her studio please have a look at The Studio section of the web site.
To discuss availability of pieces, prices, commissions or a visit to the studio, please go to the Contact page or copy and paste melfraser.sculpture@gmail.com into your email programme.
Mel’s studio is 5 miles east of Cambridge and can be visited by appointment.
Open Studios ’24
It’s that time of year again. Time to fix the wobbly plinths, clean the bird shite off the marbles, clear the stinging nettles, rearrange the studio, dump the rubble, go to the tip and hide everything else under a tarpaulin. And then it’s off to the cash and carry to buy copious amounts of alcohol, ice and flowers. Yes, you’ve guessed it, it’s time to open up my lair to the public once again as part of #camopenstudios
Sacro corallo, white alabaster
Evolution glow, honey alabaster
Work in progress, female head
Conchiglia, champagne onyx
A glass of something cold towards the end of the day…
The end of the day. Duendes at night
July ’24
Spring 2024
So, after a busy start to 2024 we move into Spring where I am exhibiting at various locations over the coming months.
Sacro corallo, white alabaster at Fresh Art Cheltenham
Sacro corallo nero, and…
Evolution II, honey alabaster showing at Hampstead with Synergy Fine Art
Duende III, statuary Carrara marble at Moncrieff-Bray, Sussex
Another outing for Aarusha, Carrara marble, this time at Delamore Arts, Devon
Nebula I, Carrara marble at Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh, Suffolk and…
Ice Twist, Moroccan selenite
May ’24
Art at the Park, February 1-4th, 2024
From the 1-4th Februay I will be exhibiting at #artatthepark24 at #braxtedparkestate in Essex.
Proceeds will go directly to Home-Start Essex, a family support charity.
Above is Aarusha, carved from Carrara marble.
Duende IV, statuary Carrara marble
Pianeta Arancione, Moroccan forest selenite
Duende III, statuary Carrara marble
A proper slurry of stone carvers during installation for the exhibition.
From left to right, #guystevensstonesculpture, #dominicwelchsculpture, #annagreenacre_arts, #jasonmulligansculpture, #anthonyturnersculpture, #mstonestreetsculpture, me and #alybrownsculpture,
Feb ’24
London Art Fair, Islington, January ’24
From the 17th to the 21st January I will be exhibiting at the London Art Fair with Gallery Different.
My work will be shown alongside sculpture by Johannes von Strumm and paintings by Denis Bowen
This is the second Aleteo di Miel that I have created. Carved from honey alabaster
Duende IV, statuary Carrara marble
Aleteo blanco, white alabaster
Duende II & III, Carrara marble
Me and El Gran Duende, statuary Carrara marble
Jan ’24
Two weeks, two countries, two quarries
A disused Spanish marble quarry near Aracena, Huelva
With my guide and fellow stone junkie, BL-W
Portuguese marble quarry, Vila Viçosa
Where we were guests of Francis and given the royal tour
Decisions, decisions…
Oct ’22
on form ’22
El Gran Duende, Duende I and Gran Arranque on the cherry lawn,
Asthall Manor, on form 22
Aleteo I & II either side of Arranque in the ballroom at Asthall Manor as part of on form 22
Aleteo de Miel, honey alabaster in the church at Asthall
Duende II, statuary Carrara marble, in the cloisters at Asthall Manor
Inspiración del Flamenco
From the cuevas of Granada to the ferias of Seville, from the bodegas of Jerez to the chiringuitos of Malaga the undeniable force of the proud women of flamenco stamp and swirl, their costumes ruffle and whirl. The plaintive songs of the Gitano people, their struggles and sufferings inspired my new collection of work for on form 22. The aleteo, the flutter of the frills of her frock, the duende, the inner force that drives flamenco and the arranque, a spontaneous outburst of emotion from the performers propels the flow and movement of the stone.
Book here for allocated slot for the exhibition which runs from Sunday 12th June to Sunday 10th July
June ’22
Sneak preview of on form ’22
Three marble pieces on the cherry lawn at Asthall Manor.
Covered, awaiting the opening of on form ’22…
Close up detail of statuario Carrara marble piece.
‘What light through yonder window breaks?’
What could this possibly be…..
Close up white alabaster in the ballroom.
Book here for allocated slot for the exhibition which runs from Sunday 12th June to Sunday 10th July
June ’22
Grand Evolution V for China
Just a final bit of zhuzhing before the latest Grand Evolution sets off for her new home in China.
All crated up, snug as the proverbial. Will the tail lift take the weight???
Loaded!
April ’22
SALUTE at Extraordinary Objects
Private View of SALUTE at Extraordinary Objects in Cambridge, UK.
SALUTE brings together 10 influential female artists from various cultures and backgrounds who are all currently working to make a difference in the Art World. The show runs from 26th March to the 21st April.
This is Volantes, white alabaster, the first of a new series of work inspired by the Spanish art of Flamenco
April ’22
Open Studio ’21
Seated Rubenesque Torso II, blue alabaster
Seated Boy, Persian travertine, work in progress
This year for the first time Mel has decided to showcase her maquettes all together in the Gatehouse. Maquettes are Mel’s working models, clay studies that she creates before embarking on carving (some of) them from blocks of stone.
Here for instance is Seated Boy in clay
Euros, statuary Carrara marble
Cerchio di Fiamme, statuary Carrara marble with Seated Rubenesque I behind
Lazarus, clay study
Ice Twist I, Moroccan selenite and Aarusha, Carrara marble
July ’21
Installations ’21
Genesis III in honey alabaster soaking up the morning sun in her new home in The Cotswolds
Photographs by the new owner
And after a last minute bit of zhuzzing, Cerchio di Fiamme III settles in to her new home
Ondine surveys and protects from her new position
And a final once over for Cerchio di Fiamme II at home in Oxfordshire
July ’21
on form 21 unlocked
Cerchio di Fiamme III, statuary Carrara marble by the lake at Asthall Manor, for on form 21 unlocked
Cerchio di Fiamme II, statuary Carrara marble, foreground with her big sister on the other side of the lake.
So, after a wait of nearly a whole year, Asthall Manor is finally able to fling open its gates and let real live people in to on form 21 unlocked.
There is a booking system accessed via the above link and the exhibition will run until May 31st.
Gaia, Indonesian Champagne onyx
For this exhibition, Mel has created work in the theme of creation and the elements: Elemental:fire, earth and water with a few twists thrown in for good measure
Genesis III, honey alabaster
Lepidolite Twist
Sussurro di Ondine (Ondine’s whisper), Indonesian Champagne onyx
Cerchio di Fiamme I, statuary Carrara marble
Connemara marble Twist II
Fiamma, Carrara marble
Genesis I, white alabaster
Connemara marble Twist I
May ’21
on form 20
With the world as it is at the moment, on form 20 has had to be held as a virtual exhibition with all the sculptures being able to be viewed on line only.
For this year’s show Mel has fused together some recent themes to produce a body of work specifically for on form 20.
Her theme of Creation:fireiceandtempests can be seen below and at the links above.
Cerchio di Fiamme I, statuary Carrara marble, work in progress (WIP)
for on form 20
Genesis I, alabaster, detail
La Tempesta IV, English alabaster
Ice Twist II, selenite
June ’20
M*A*S*H camp
Due to the quite exceptional circumstances the planet finds itself in at the moment, Mel has relocated her studio to her garden hence Mobile Artists’ Studio at Home or M*A*S*H
She is currently working on three Cerchio di Fiamme (Circle of Flames) pieces, all carved from the most beautiful statuary Carrara marble.
This is the smallest one, at 80 cm high and all three will be available through the on form 20 virtual exhibition and web site
April ’20
Mel’s Open Studio 2019
Every July Mel opens her studio to the public as part of Cambridge Open Studios. Set in the idyllic grounds of Herring’s House outside Cambridge the studio is open from 11-6pm on Saturday and Sunday and contains more than 40 examples of Mel’s stunning contemporary stone sculpture.
Fiamma, Carrara marble
Flash!, Moroccan marble
Come and view over 40 of Mel’s works for both exterior and interior display
Genesis, alabaster
Euros, Carrara marble
Young Tao, sandstone
Gaia, Indonesian champagne onyx
July ’19
Beaulieu’s first sculpture exhibition
Boreas, statuary Carrara marble, in the paddock at Beaulieu
Mel was asked by David Waghorne, curator of Doddington Hall and Marks Hall Sculpture Exhibitions, to be one of the featured artists in the first ever sculpture show at Beaulieu home of Lord Montagu and the National Motor Museum set in the picturesque New Forest area of Hampshire, UK
Angel Wing XX, Carrara marble
Two of Mel’s contemporary stone sculptures were chosen to be shown in the grounds of the ruins of the old abbey, destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII, where the contrast between the ancient weathered stone work and the pristine sculptures was quite lovely.
Sculpture at Beaulieu runs until July 14th 2019
Fusion, Carrara marble
June ’19
A Trip to Gondwanaland
The Three Graces, Kilkenny limestone in Gondwanaland
Earlier in the year Mel was approached by the curators of Marks Hall Sculpture Exhibition to be the featured artist in their second biennial show. She was to be given an exclusive area of the arboretum in which to display her work: Gondwanaland.
Angel Wing XX, Carrara marble
Gondwanaland was the name given to the supercontinent comprising most of the land masses of the Southern Hemisphere and at Marks Hall it is an area planted with a variety of plants from Australia and South America, particularly Eucalyptus, Monkey Puzzle trees, Wollemia pines, bottle brush plants and Pampas grass.
Destiny, Persian travertine
15 of Mel’s contemporary stone sculptures have been placed around the 4 acre enclave, some visible from a quarter of a mile away along great vistas, some on gentle mounds and some tucked away in peaceful glades, slumbering amongst the perfumed gum trees and dancing grasses.
Flusso I, Carrara marble with Wollemia pines
Venus, Zimbabwean springstone with Monkey Puzzle tree
Squaring the Circle, Persian travertine and below,
Fracture I, Kilkenny limestone in amongst the Pampas grass
Angel Wing XXI, Carrara marble
Marks Hall Sculpture Exhibition runs from July 29th to September 10th 2017, Coggeshall, Essex, CO6 1TG
July ’17
A Trip to Italy
The Cave Michelangelo quarry, Carrara
In August Mel and family holidayed in Italy which, obviously, included trips to Carrara and Pietrasanta. Mel was able to meet up with an old pal, Signore Franco Barattini, the man responsible for the Cave Michelangelo quarry high above Carrara. He, along with his glamorous assistant Antonella, graciously took Mel up to the quarry where she was able to chose and acquire several large pieces of beautiful cremo marble. 9.5 tonnes of Carrara’s finest to be precise.
Mel, Signore Barattini and Antonella inspect the cremo
The chosen ones are then marked up for collection,
and everyone’s happy. Shall we dance?
August ’16
