For the last 20 years Rebecca has been steadily producing sculpture both to commission and for exhibition. The commissions rise from recommendation, from the bodies of work produced for exhibition and from competitions.

In September 2010 Rebecca showed 4 kinetic sculptures at Salisbury Cathedral, in the area surrounding the William Pye font. The sculptures formed part of ‘Liminality’, an exhibition by 8 sculptors in the stunning environs of the Cathedral.

Rebecca enjoys working on a grand scale; smaller works are both finished pieces and models for future works. In 2011 Rebecca has cast commissioned bronze sculpture developed from the work shown at Salisbury Cathedral with a view to casting larger pieces. Further cast bronze commissions are in progress. This work considers flight and is a development from wind dispersed seed, encompassing bird and aeronautical flight as a metaphor for a journey into new territory
She has recently completed a group of sculpture for Loros, a Leicestershire hospice, which were exhibited at Hampton Court RHS in July 2011 prior to installation at the hospice.  In June 2011 Rebecca completed a project to create sculpture and mosaics for a Peace Garden dedicated to Ben Kinsella, who was the victim of knife crime. She worked with the students from his school.  

Another recent commission was for the first in a group of glass and fibreglass floating sculptures, a 2m diameter work inspired by the plants collected by The Patron of the Himalayan Gardens in North Yorkshire. ‘Magnolia’ considers the form and genesis of these acid loving plants and will float, anchored on a large lake on the estate. This followed on from several large scale sculptures exhibited in 2009 and 2010.

A body of work completed in 2008 concerned Photosynthesis, Energy and Carbon, and resulted from collaboration with the Hillier Gardens, who offered access to their resources. They have a world famous collection of oaks as well as extensive, well managed gardens. Research at the Hillier library, herbarium and from interviews with the botanists has led to sculptures and an exhibition.  Previous bodies of work have explored botanical life cycles; seeds, pollen, fruit and growth. Rebecca is interested in the chemical makeup of living things and the appearance of molecules or chains of molecules under a microscope. Rebecca’s sculpture celebrates human life. The botanical works are a metaphor for human life, exploring potential, life cycles and personal growth. Living things have infinite positive cross over associations and symbolism.

Rebecca’s sculpture which has a glass skin is supported by a reinforcing steel skeleton, carved Styrofoam, and fibreglass. The lines of glass which cover the forms have gaps filled with a grout; these gaps are as important as the spaces which the glass occupies. Rebecca takes clear glass and fires a range of enamels or minerals onto the surface, in a kiln. She permanently introduces a huge range of colours into the glass or metallic finishes.

Selected Commissioned Projects

2011  Animal sculptures with a recycled glass skin commissioned by Kenco and JWT. They include a 4m tall Snake, with a skin made from recycled green bottles who winds around a lamppost; a 4m tall giraffe and a 2m tall young giraffe, with a gold and bronze recycled glass skin; a 2m diameter Crab with a shell covered in recycled glass in many shades of red; and a family of Penguins in black and white recycled glass, each 1.1m tall, 1m tall, 0.8m tall and a 0.5m tall baby penguin.
2011 Quercus Rober, a 2.33m tall sculpture for LOROS, a hospice in Leicester

2011    Peace Garden sculpture and mosaics Dedicated to Ben Kinsella, North London
2010    Magnolia, a floating sculpture installed in a lake in Yorkshire which considers the plant collections of the estate
2009    Chris Beardshaw and Ness Botanical Gardens commissioned ‘Bulleyana’ for a garden exhibited at Tatton Park before installation at Ness Gardens.

2008    Elstone Hayes commissioned a 13m tall atrium installation,’ Frondis’, for Royal Caribbean’s ‘Sovereign’ ship.
2007    Elstone Hayes commissioned 7 sculptures for Cunard’s new Queen Victoria Cruise ship. ‘White Grass’
2007    Two groups of sculpture ‘Taxus’ and ‘DNA Seedlings’, for private gardens, Cambridge
2007    ‘Lotos’ sculpture for home and hotel in Italy.
2007    Two sculptures, ‘Kalyptos’, for a roof terrace at London’s Barbican.

2006    Museumaker, an Arts Council project competition. Commissioned to make a 1m tall Lotus sculpture for New Walk Museum, Leicester. Reflects cultural and natural aspects of the collections.
2006    Museumaker project competition. ‘Seedling’ sculptures each 2m tall for the gardens of 78 Derngate, Northampton, the Charles Rennie Mackintosh museum. Inspired by Mackintosh’s stylised trees.

2005    Elstone Hayes commissioned 5 sculptures: ‘Bud 2’, a pair of Reed sculptures, and a pair of Nautilus sculptures, for 2 cruise ships.  Each between 600mm and 1.6m tall.

2004    Gresham Palace, Budapest. Four Seasons Hotels. 16 mosaic tree planters each 1.1m diameter. Commissioned by Richmond international. Designs that worked with a lovingly restored secessionist interior..
2003    MAB commissioned a 4m wall panel for Dalkeith, Bournemouth. Imagery inspired by Merton Russell-Coates.

2002    Architects Jestico and Wiles commissioned five glass wall panels, each up to 3m long, illustrating botanical imagery inspired by writers connected to Leatherhead, Surrey.
2000    Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados. Commissioned by Richmond International. Abstract inlayed lines of blue glass mosaic, 50m long.

2000   ‘Lepidotes Mantelli’. Relief floor mosaic, 4m diameter, located at Sandown, Isle of White. Commissioned by Southern Water. Glass and stone mosaic of previously local prehistoric fish. Designed in consultation with local residents and councillors, local school children contributed to the making.
2000   Exterior wall mosaics for Hindu Centre in Dudley. Commissioned by Broadfield house Glass Museum as a Millennium Project.

Pre 2000 Rebecca worked on many commissions including sculptures for 6 cruise ships, the largest of which is 30m long. She also designed a range of mirrors and furniture which retailed from the Conran Shop, Heals and John Lewis. Later the furniture became bespoke and we worked with specifiers and Interior Design Companies.

Selected Exhibitions

2011          Beukenhof-Phoenix Gallery, Belgium

2011          Unilever’s Research Facility Plaza, Port Sunlight.
2010          Liminality at Salisbury Cathedral,
2009          Freshair 2009, Quenington Sculpture Trust.
2010          Liminality at Salisbury cathedral, 8 artist’s response to the theme and the space.
2008         Photosynthesis. Hillier Gardens. Body of work resulting from collaboration with the gardens.
2005-10   Artdejardin, Rutland, sculpture show featuring Rebecca’s sculpture.
2007         Hillier Gardens, Southampton. Art in the Garden. Group sculpture show.
2007         Light and Significant Numbers. Highcliffe castle, Christchurch, Dorset. Work in castle grounds and old library.
2006         Collect V&A London
2005         Chelsea Flower Show, Show garden sculptures for WRAP garden designed by Chris Beardshaw.
2005         Atrium Gallery, Bournemouth. ‘New Works by Rebecca Newnham’
2003-05   Art loan. Bournemouth University.
2002        ‘Art in the Garden’. Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum, Romsey.

International Art fairs in London, New York and Toronto, Chelsea Flower show, Design Resolutions at The Royal Festival Hall, Decorex, 100%Design, Decorative Arts Today at Bonham’s.
Rebecca has works in the collections of three museums and many private collections. Her work has been selected for The New Glass Review, Corning Glass Museum New York, for 3 consecutive years.

Project Direction

2006-07 Art Consultant for Northampton Museum ‘Hands on History’ project, where 5 artists are commissioned to make a vessel to contain artefacts from the collections for public loan.
2006-07 User group representative on the board at Artsway; a contempory art gallery in the New Forest.
2007      Crafts Council Selection Committee specialist advisor.

Talks

2011         Gifted and Talented Students, Ballard & Highcliffe Schools, Christchurch.
2008         Bournemouth College, Marketing and Promotion.
2008         Arts Council, London, Museumaker.
2007         Eden Project, Contempory Glass Society
2007         Society of Modern Mosaicists, London            
2007         Hillier Gardens, Southampton.
2007         Highlife Castle, Christchurch. To accompany exhibition.
2006         Nottingham Play House, Arts Council

                  
Galleries

UK: The Garden Gallery, Broughton,  Wimbledon Fine Art, London and  Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Surrey
Belgium: Beukenhof-Phoenix Gallery & Sculpture Park.

 
Education

1991         Royal College of Art, MA (RCA) Glass.
                   
1985-88   Staffordshire Polytechnic, Multi-disciplinary Design, BA (Hons)