Lawrence Dicks (b. 1969) is a British sculptor, based in West Sussex, working in wood, stone, and bronze. He graduated from Exeter College of Art and Design in 1998. Dicks knew from early on in his artistic practice that sculpture would be his medium, enjoying the physicality that working with sculpture demands. At university he was inspired by some of the great sculptors of the twentieth century: Hepworth, Moore, Brancusi. The work of Peter Randall-Page, David Nash and Richard Long were also inspirational to him as he began his own practice, with David Nash’s lifetime exploration of one natural material, trees and wood, especially continuing to inspire Dicks’ work.
Lawrence's sculpture is heavily influenced by nature and by his specific environment in West Sussex. He writes:
"Over the past few years, my inspiration has been deeply rooted in the environment that surrounds me. From my home and studio, a short walk across a field and along a flint and chalk track brings me to Climping Beach - a place that has become central to my practice.
Since moving here six years ago, I’ve witnessed the shoreline undergo dramatic changes. The effects of rising sea levels and relentless natural forces have claimed vast sections of land. What remains is a landscape that feels almost post-apocalyptic: eroded groynes, collapsed sea defences, jagged fissures where land meets sea, and the remnants of wood, chalk, and flint scattered like bones.
This landscape, with its quiet desolation and raw, strange beauty, has seeped into my work in subtle, instinctive ways. It informs the quiet visual language I’ve developed - one that is expressed in this new body of work.
An element of repetition has emerged in the new wooden sculptures I’ve made over the past year, echoing the rhythmic patterns found in the natural world - the tides, the erosion, the weathering of surfaces over time. These recurring forms speak to both continuity and loss.
Stone, wood, and bronze are my materials - elements shaped by time, echoing the shifting edge of this coast."
Lawrence has exhibited widely throughout the UK. He has work in private and public collections in the UK - notably Churchill College Cambridge and Marchmont House in Scotland - and internationally.
