Melanie Wilks mainly specialises in stone carving. Biographical in nature, her sculpture often reflects what is happening in her life at the time of making or in the recent past. Themes relate to the human condition, shared experiences and emotions.
“I love to carve directly in stone, using hand held tools, so that I’m intimately involved in the production of my sculpture from start to finish. My creative process begins with drawing to develop ideas and arrive at an initial design. I refer to these drawings whilst carving, using them as a guide rather than a definitive blueprint because I want to respond to the character of the stone, working with the material rather than imposing on it, letting it speak to me – that’s the beauty of hand carving.”
Alongside her personal artistic practice, Wilks creates original work to commission. In a career spanning more than 30 years, she has produced many publicly sited sculptures, as well as for private homes and gardens. Her sculpture can be seen in towns, parks and public spaces across Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
“I specialise in carving sculpture in stone. It’s a wonderful material – beautiful, strong and enduring.”