Exhibition

David Nash: 200 Seasons is the largest and most ambitious exhibition of David Nash's work ever presented. The exhibition is a major survey of Nash’s career from the late 1960s to the present day, exploring the different ways the artist has cut, carved and manipulated wood to produce work that crosses abstraction and figuration, yet always retains reference to the forms of the original tree and the unique qualities of the chosen material.  

The centrality of trees and wood in Nash’s practice has led to his ‘growing sculptures’ – works that mark the passing of time within landscape and nature. This includes Ash Dome (1977-), where the planting and tending of 22 ash trees created a living sculptural space, and also Wooden Boulder (1978-), which marks the journey over many years of a carved boulder from stream-bed to open sea. These time-based works feature in the exhibition through documents including photographs, films and drawings. 

While much of Nash’s work has been made in or from the landscape and natural environment of Blaenau Ffestiniog, he has also travelled widely to work with trees and communities across the world. These stories feed into the exhibition, and work made in overseas ‘wood quarries’ and retained for the Capel Rhiw collection also feature in the exhibition. 

200 Seasons reflects the artist’s long relationship with Wales and in particular Capel Rhiw, his home and studio for over half a century; and explores his links with East Sussex and Lewes where Nash lives and works for part of the year.