Blaenau Ffestiniog-based sculptor David Nash is one of the UK's pre-eminent contemporary artists.
Although he was born in Surrey, David has Welsh roots and he moved to North Wales in his early 20s. He has worked here for over 35 years, during which time he has established an international reputation.
David is a master at working in wood, carving and shaping the material into beautiful sculptural forms. He studied at Kingston and Chelsea, and Oriel Bangor staged one of his very first exhibitions, in 1973.
The BBC filmed his work in 2004 at a new exhibition at Tate St Ives, for the On Show programme. Titled Making And Placing, the exhibition followed his progression as an artist from 1978 to the present day.
As well as making pieces for gallery display, David Nash also makes sculptures which stay in the landscape. For example, Ash Dome is a ring of ash trees which he planted in 1969 and which he has carefully trained to form a domed shape. It's sited at a secret location somewhere in Snowdonia and whenever it's filmed, crews are taken there by a circuitous route to guard its security.
One of the most fascinating pieces in the Tate St Ives exhibition wasn't physically there at all. Wooden Boulder was a large wooden sphere carved by David in the North Wales landscape and left there to weather.
Over the years the boulder slipped and rolled its way through the landscape, following the course of streams and rivers until finally it was washed out to sea.
Since it was caught in the currents of the Irish Sea the sculptor has no idea of its location, and enjoys the notion that wood which grew out of the land will finally return to it. The story of the boulder is documented in a film by Welsh film-maker Pete Telfer.
David Nash has produced, or has been featured in, a number of publications, films and documentaries, and he is represented in Britain by Annely Juda Fine Art, London.
Internationally feted for his wood sculptures.
