Naomi Beevers transforms wool, cloth and familiar household objects into birds alive with watchfulness and character. For the festive season, New Ashgate Gallery presents her as Sculptor in Focus, bringing together a distinctive flock inspired by Britain's garden, woodland and coastal birds.
Needle-felted British wool, painted fabric and fine hand stitching give each bird its form. Vintage cotton reels become perches, while sugar tongs and cake forks find new purpose as legs and feet. A lifted beak, poised body or sideways glance is enough to give every figure its own unmistakable personality.
Drawing on childhood memories of Devon and Cornwall and the wildlife she observes near her Surrey home, Beevers brings together close observation, textile skill and a fondness for domestic history. The familiar objects she uses become part of the birds' identities, creating playful connections between nature and home. Warm, witty and carefully composed, the pieces sit somewhere between portrait and still life. Together, they invite us to look again at the birds that share our everyday surroundings.