ONE TO WATCH

From exhibiting at Collect 2020 to making bespoke creations for private clients, sculptor Zeinab Harding is certainly someone on our radar

- JO BAILEY

Q Tell us a little about your background.

Sustainability is a constant thread that ties my experiences and education together. My background is varied: from facilitating art workshops in the Amazon where I was exposed to traditional skills to living and working in east London and being immersed in the arts culture there. My experiences have shown me the need for long-lasting sustainable design. Initially, I studied art at university, which was concerned with concept rather than craft. I later studied historical woodcarving and gilding at City & Guilds of London Art School, an intense, practical course with a wonderful community of craftspeople.

Q Where do you look to for inspiration?

I look both back to antiquity and forward to the contemporary. The study and meaning of floral ornament is a major theme. My work displaces historic ornament and places it in contemporary interiors, giving it many layers of meaning. I am inspired by so many different sorts of artists, from Bernini to El Anatsui.

Q Tell us about your technique and the equipment you use.