Hare Sculpture Goes to Significant Collection of Sculpture...

Last month we were delighted to see one of our treasured sculptures go to a fabulous new location when it was purchased by collector Bernard Holmes. He selected a Lilia Umaña-Clarke piece to be displayed in his Gardens alongside works by Elizabeth Frink, Jean-Marie Fondacaro, Antony Gormley, Thomas Heatherwick, Nicolas Lavarenne, Charmiane Cox and Monica Young. A significant collection of sculpture is installed throughout the gardens providing some interesting surprises. Many artists and nationalities are represented and we were delighted to receive a photograph of the piece when it first arrived at their property awaiting the perfect spot for it's final location in the grounds. If you ever pay a visit on one of their Open Days and spot the piece get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

Where did it go?

Barnards Farm Gardens are open to the public as part of the National Gardens Scheme and all proceeds from open days are donated to charity. The 22 hectares of gardens at Barnards Farm range from landscaped walks through young woodland to the precise detail of the Japanese garden. The more formal gardens including a parterre, herbaceous borders, a living wall and the vegetable garden are found nearer the house. A walk through the managed landscape will take in the long avenue, a stream, ponds, and the Euro wood. A striking feature in the SW corner is the belvedere, planted largely with roses providing a blaze of colour in summer. It is also home to the National Collection of Malus (Crab apples) and so benefits from blossom in spring time and colourful fruit in autumn. There is a grass airstrip and the design and development of the gardens have been influenced by consideration of the aerial view.

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A little something about Lilia:

Lilia Umaña-Clarke was born in Colombia where she trained as an architect before moving to England in 1979 to gain her BA in Fine Art at the University of Hertfordshire. She now has a studio in Hackney, London, where she regularly produces pieces for several galleries around the UK, in addition to her individual and commercial commissions. A great source of Lilia's inspiration comes from the ceramics of early South American civilizations and their symbolic use of human and animal imagery. She explores ideas about relationships and states of mind, combining geometric abstraction with more expressive sculpture. Specialising in stoneware ceramics, Lilia's unique textures are achieved using her signature combination of dry glazes and oxides. All her pieces are suitable for indoor and outdoor display. Lilia first displayed her work here with us for a show we named Hare we Go in 2015 where she received much admiration for her striking collection of hare sculptures.

Visit the archive on our website to discover more. Images here show Lilia's work on display during this time and Lilia hard at work in her studio.

For information on Barnard Farm Gardens Open Days visit their website:

Barnards Farm Gardens, West Horndon, Essex CM13 3LX (on the A128, 1mile South of the A127). Let us know if you come across this striking sculpture when you visit, we'd love to hear from you. The gardens and buildings at Barnards Farm are owned and managed by Bernard and Sylvia Holmes and the Christabella Charitable Trust.