Simon Hempsell

Born in Yorkshire Simon studied graphics and photography at Sheffield Polytechnic, moving to the south coast in the 90’s, working for many years as a designer and photographer. Using illustrative techniques learnt during his time as a designer, he designed sculptural concepts purely for pleasure, wanting something to enhance his own garden. It was one of his design clients form the art world that recently encouraged him to pursue his ideas and turn his concepts into reality.

Pieces are curvaceous, charmingly simple, almost two dimensional, which probably reflects his training as a graphic designer and beliefs in the ‘less is more’ approach. Most of his sculptures are crafted from sheet steel and stainless steel. He is particularly fond of the rich warm hues that you get with the more natural rusted finish with pieces being left to oxidise naturally, a process that highlights the intrinsic beauty of the material as the finish evolves with time.


Simon is at home working with steel and engineering processes. It’s something that is in his blood having grown up near Sheffield, spending his early years tinkering in his grandfather's engineering workshop and working his summer holidays in the steel works whilst studying in Sheffiel...

Born in Rotherham, 1961
Studied Graphics and Photography at Rotherham College of Art and Sheffield Polytechnic
Moved to the South Coast 1991
Lives and works in Bosham, nr Chichester

Fresh Air
Sculpture at Doddington Hall
Chelsea Flower Show
Art for Cure
Sculpture at Borde Hill
Fresh Air
The Savill Garden, Windsor
Moncrieff Bray Gallery
Sculpture at Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum
Sussex Prairie Gardens
Gilbert Whites House and Gardens
Sculpture at Marks Hall
Showborough House Sculpture