Emily Young

Dates: b.1951

Gender: Female

Nationality: British

Emily Young works in a traditional free carving method of stone sculpting. She is best known for her distinctive angel heads and discs. Of the angels she has said, ‘The looks on the faces of the angels are not planned as such, they arrive and surprise me often with their softness and sadness, and strength and calm. Read more…

Biography:

Emily Young works in a traditional free carving method of stone sculpting. She is best known for her distinctive angel heads and discs. Of the angels she has said, ‘The looks on the faces of the angels are not planned as such, they arrive and surprise me often with their softness and sadness, and strength and calm. But like all good angels, they have a certain graveness, an objectivity, a touch of the infinite, and a certain compassion.’ Of her discs she has said, ‘The discs, lunar or solar, are also like angels, heavenly bodies, stars, whirling in dark space, carrying information about our origins and throwing out light to us.’ ‘Emily Young’s work is characterized by the highly individual way in which it combines strength with gentleness. Her sculptures are massive, often chthonic, but their contours are rounded as if moulded by a lover’s hand rather than chiseled out by steel.’ Louis de Bernieres (novelist) Emily Young has exhibited widely and her public installations include the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, St Paul’s Churchyard (London), Salisbury Cathedral, and La Defence (Paris).