AMY STEPHENS

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Waking Matter II, 2025 is a new public sculpture commissioned by Dulwich Picture Gallery for The Lovington Sculpture Meadow in London.

Last year, Amy Stephens was commissioned by Dulwich Picture Gallery to create one of the first outdoor sculptures for their major redevelopment project. Their extensive renovation project,  titled Open Art is the first revamp for the museum in more than 20 years. It involves transforming three acres of green space into a new public offering on site. This will include an expansion of the Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Sculpture Garden and a new ArtPlay Pavilion, a permanent timber play space for under-eights.

Amy is presenting Waking Matter II, 2025 - one in this series was previously shown in London as part of Frieze Sculpture in 2023.  Alongside this new work, visitors will encounter interactive sculptures by Yinka Shonibare MBE, Li Li Ren, Peter Randall-Page and Rob and Nick Carter. 

Journey + Process

The artist sourced 1 tonne of surplus marble from a working quarry in Carrara, Italy. The specific area is famous as the source for Michelangelo’s Renaissance sculptures. Stephens located the mild steel from the UK as it was being discarded from a previous local project and has therefore been reused to create the sculpture.

The marble has been growing silently for millions of years and is now set on a modern steel pedestal. White calcite crystals sparkle in the light and physical marks adorn both the marble and the steel with the making process clearly visible. At 4 metres high, the sculpture bridges architecture and art, highlighting the importance of interaction and playfulness.

By walking around and underneath the artwork, the viewer can reflect as a new form emerges out of natural materials. This sculpture is a celebration of the landscape offering us an insight into the importance of this terrestrial wonder.

Images taken on site at MSO Marine, Brentford, London