What's On at Roche Court
Sculpture by Francis Upritchard
Francis Upritchard
Eels in Mud, 2021
Bronze
150 x 230 x 50 cm
59 x 90 ½ x 19 ⅗ in.
In collaboration with the gallery Kate MacGarry, London, we are delighted to have Francis Upritchard’s 2021 sculpture, Eels in Mud newly sited in the sculpture park. Francis Upritchard’s work is also on display in a solo exhibition, ‘Sing Siren’, at Kate MacGarry until 12 July 2025.
Stooping over the verdant pond here at Roche Court, the strange and uncanny figure’s elongated arms drape to the ground. Hanging from his hands, a swarm of eels twist and contort, some arising from the still green water. In both the eels and the figure, the texture of the skin is rough, sagging and shrivelled, almost as if they were made from fabric. This is the result of Upritchard’s unique process of working, as many of her bronze pieces begin with a 1:5 maquette made from balata rubber. A material that Upritchard has been working with since discovering it in a market in Brazil in 2004, balata rubber is a precious natural substance which becomes malleable when heated and must be manipulated in a cold-water bath. The pliable maquettes gain form and character, as her hands combine imagination and intuition at great speed, allowing the works to retain a sense of immediacy and movement.
Compelling and often eerie, Francis Upritchard’s work stems from inspirations that include mythology, folklore, science fiction and the work of Quentin Blake. She also often draws from antiquity, as with her Barbican Centre exhibition of centaurs and humans influenced by the Parthenon Reliefs.
Born in 1976 in Aotearoa / New Zealand, Francis Upritchard studied fine art at Ilam School of Fine Arts in Christchurch, graduating in 1997. Since 1998, Francis Upritchard has been based on London.
For more information about Francis Upritchard, please contact the gallery at nac@sculpture.uk.com.
Current Exhibition in the Gallery
Nao Matsunaga, A Year's Thought
Continues Throughout the Summer
Installation View of Nao Matsunaga, A Year's Thought at the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park, 2025.
Nao Matsunaga: A Year’s Thought continues in the gallery. This exhibition brings together the many facets of Nao Matsunaga’s practice. Together with his ceramics, it also includes a new series of woodcarvings, conceived and created at Roche Court from timber collected from the ancient trees throughout the park.
“Central to Nao’s way of working is this process of collecting, storing, and then bringing together; adding a wedge or a word here, balancing this with that. It’s all a juggle between chaos and order, restlessness and patience.”
– Laurie Britton Newell in her essay, Chance Element, for the catalogue accompanying the exhibition Nao Matsunaga: A Year’s Thought at Roche Court Sculpture Park, 2025.
Roche Court Educational Trust
The Roche Court Educational Trust has been flourishing this month, with lots of lively educational visits, tours and events, all ranging from primary age to sixth form students from across the South. Last week, National Gallery art historian, Timothy Revell, and RCET Co-ordinator, Amanda Robinson gave a talk at Broughton Village Hall about the History of sculpture parks, Roche Court and Articulation.
The Roche Court Educational Trust is an independent arts education charity based at Roche Court Sculpture Park, Wiltshire. Inspired by the modern and contemporary internationally acclaimed artists exhibited at the sculpture park, we work with children, young people and teachers to develop confidence by looking, thinking and speaking about art.
We are a popular venue for museum groups from all over the world. Today we hosted a visit from the Dutch group Stichting Kunst in Zicht, Groningen. We are delighted as this service is growing rapidly and provides an opportunity for collectors from all over the world to appreciate and learn more about British post-war art - especially sculpture.
Support the Roche Court Educational Trust
Friend or Benefactor Annual Membership
Based at the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park in Wiltshire, the Roche Court Educational Trust is an independent charity reliant on voluntary donations.
Friends £50 per year
As a friend your donation will support the work of the Trust, and help to facilitate educational visits and participation by groups that would otherwise be unable to have such an opportunity. In return you will receive a newsletter and 10% off our Roche artist designed plates and bookshop.
Benefactors £250 per year
In addition to receiving all of the benefits of a Friend, you will be invited to special events throughout the year, including our Private Views.
Appeal at the Hepworth Wakefield
The Hepworth Wakefield and the Art Fund have launched an urgent public appeal to save a rare and outstanding artwork by Dame Barbara Hepworth. Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red (1943) is at risk of being lost overseas unless £3.8 million can be raised to buy it for the Wakefield’s permanent art collection.
Pictured: Barbara Hepworth, Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red (1943). Photograph by Betty Saunders, 2025.
The appeal is backed by artists and creatives including Jonathan Anderson, Richard Deacon, Jenny Éclair, Sir Antony Gormley, Katy Hessel, Sir Anish Kapoor, Veronica Ryan, Joanna Scanlan and Dame Rachel Whiteread.
The New Art Centre at Roche Court Sculpture Park has represented the Barbara Hepworth Estate for three decades. This work embodies Hepworth's resilience and creative development in the years after she moved to Cornwall, and we believe it should be made available to view in Wakefield, the town where she grew up. The charity, Art Fund has already committed an exceptional grant of £750,000, alongside early pledges from various generous individuals and trusts. But, if the remaining £2.9 million is not raised to meet the deadline of 27 August 2025, the sculpture will leave the UK.
Donations can be made via the Hepworth Wakefield website. Click below to find out more.
Visit Us
Roche Court Sculpture Park is open every day, 11am - 4pm.
If you would like to visit with a group of more than 6 people, please let us know in advance by emailing nac@sculpture.uk.com, or call us on +44 (0)1980 862 244.