Introducing a new artist: Nicola Godden

We are delighted to open a new chapter in the garden with the work of Nicola Godden, a sculptor bringing over three decades of experience to this latest art exhibition curated by Winsor Birch. Located within the beautiful grounds of Carden Park, the Sculpture Garden offers visitors free access to a changing collection of impactful works in a striking landscaped setting.

Nicola Godden has spent more than 30 years exploring the human form through sculpture. Whether capturing something witnessed during a walk, or derived from the ordinary rhythms of everyday life, she allows her art to evolve in response to the dynamic world around her. Over the years, she has shifted between styles – from more realistic figurative works to more abstract expressions—all while retaining a focus on the human presence.

“My work is nearly always based on the human figure, whether in an abstract form or in a more realistic way.” Nicola Godden

She further emphasises that she does not work with the goal of being fully understood; rather, she seeks to spark emotion in the viewer. She often begins a piece with only a rough plan, finding excitement in letting creativity lead the way.

Within the curated setting of Carden Park’s Sculpture Garden, Nicola’s contribution takes the form of three works drawn from her Bone Series, each created in bronze:

• Bone Form II – Originally made in plaster, this piece was physically demanding and “messy to make,” as the artist recalls — a description that gives insight into the intensity of her process. This version is a larger iteration of her earlier Edition 1.
• Bone Form VI – Inspired by a piece of bone Nicola discovered, which to her revealed the resemblance of a dancing figure. Here the interplay of bone-structure and movement is distilled into bronze.
• Bone Form IV – Standing at 127 cm tall on a 1-metre wooden plinth, this imposing sculpture is again drawn from part of animal bone, re-imagined to command space and evoke presence in the garden setting.

The sculpture garden is open to all visitors of Carden Park, and serves as both a cultural activity for families and an art-loving destination in its own right. We encourage visitors to stroll among the pieces, take in how light and weather shift the perception of bronze and reflect on the way Nicola Godden transforms something as humble as “bone” into something evocative and alive.