Peter Maris

I have been working with stone since 1987, gaining experience first in a commercial and industrial environment and then later, for 10 years, as a stonecarver engaged with prestigious heritage restoration work at York Minster. However, the background to my work is rooted in Fine-Art having studied at St Martin’s School of Art for a BA Hons 1977-80 and then later for an MA at Leeds Metropolitan University 1998–2000. My practice has therefore developed as, and been enhanced by, the combination of my extensive experience in the stone industry and by my art school training. Consequently, I enjoy a wide variety of work including fine-art stone-carving, public art, letter-cutting, designing and making bespoke memorials and working on specific individual commissions.
I have always been fascinated by the actual creative process itself and by the transformations that are made along the way regarding the physical appearance of the material, the structure of the concept, and by the re-interpretation and re-appropriation of images and/or contexts in order to present new meanings or questions. These key background elements have always provided a strong direction to my approach to practice and continue to inform my fine-art thinking and preparat...

1998 - 2000 M.A. Fine Art - Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds. UK

1977 - 1980 B.A. Hons Fine Art [Sculpture] 2-1. - Saint Martin’s School of Art, London. UK

1976 - 1977 Foundation Art & Design. - Somerset College of Art & Technology, Taunton. UK

Whilst the list of exhibitions below is not as extensive as I would prefer please also note that a large part of my career has been involved in the making of carved architectural decorations and features, largely over a 10 year period at York Minster but also for buildings in the City of London and in Parliament Square - all of which are, of course, on permanent display. In addition, I also have artwork elsewhere in the public realm and most notably at Clay Cross Town Centre in Derbyshire, at Scammonden Water in North Yorkshire and at Ravensknowle Park in Huddersfield.

Group Exhibitions
2010 Newby Hall Sculpture Park, Nr Ripon (from June – September) 2010 Harvey Nichols, Leeds (from April) sculpture to complement Yorkshire Textiles display 2008 Twelve Artists for Christmas – Henshaws Art & Craft Centre, Knaresborough. 2008 Art in Woodstock - Oxfordshire 2008 Maiden Bridge Gallery - Nr Lancaster ...