Biography

Deborah was born in Yorkshire and has a background in Biological Sciences, and an MA in Marketing. After an early career in teaching she later pursued her artistic calling, studying Fine Art modules at UWE and later completing a Diploma in Stonemasonry before turning professional in 2015.

Deborah selects rocks with which she feels a resonance; living with them until inspiration reveals what lies within. Then, primarily with a technique called Direct Carving, (championed by Brancusi, Hepworth, and Moore), she allows the natural grain and form of the stone to guide her carving. This uses intuition and observation; a creative synergy of spirit and form. This deep respect for the medium results in pieces that are raw, expressive, and profoundly moving, often exploring themes of faith, social justice, nature, and human emotion.

Her work has been exhibited widely across the UK, including the BSA in Bath, RWA in Bristol, and the Mall Galleries in London (SWA, Discerning Eye). In 2024, she held her first solo exhibition at Canwood Gallery, showcased alongside images by Damien Hirst. She has received numerous accolades, including the International Spiritual Art Award (3D section) in 2024, the Ashburner Sculpture Award in 2022, and two prizes from the Southwest Academy of Fine Art. She has collectors in Europe and the USA.

Her carving is very sensitive and imbues such character and pathos rarely seen in a piece of stone. Joseph Hillier | SWAc Guest Judge

Deborah welcomes commissions. She believes that all her sculptures are retrospective commissions each finding their true owners. Sir Malcolm Evans, former chair of the UN anti-torture committee, discovered her piece Valley of the Shadow and felt such a deep connection to it that it inspired his book Tackling Torture and he featured it on the book’s cover. The NHS Trust in Gloucestershire purchased the The Hand of Fannie Storr which was unveiled at a service at Gloucester Cathedral celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS. The work is now on permanent display in their NHS Education Centre in Cheltenham. The Trust has since installed FiveXmore at Gloucester Royal Hospital to shed light on the alarming disparities in childbirth complications and infant mortality, disproportionately affecting women and children from ethnic minority backgrounds. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu commissioned a memorial stone to celebrate the life of his late mother. It incorporated a horse’s head based on her sketches. Deborah was most recently commissioned by businesses in Gloucester to carve a stone Lamprey Pie to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. The gifting of a Lamprey Pie to the monarch goes back hundred’s of years. It was presented to Highgrove, the private residence of the King and Queen, where it will be on permanent display in the gardens.

Beyond her own artistry, Deborah is passionate about building creative communities. She co-founded the Cotswold Sculptors Association in 2017, a daughter organisation of the Southwest Sculptors Association, which now supports over 100 regional sculptors. She also helped establish Gloucester Contemporary Artists, which recently made BBC News for launching the city’s first Art Trail and Open Studios upon realising that Gloucester was the only city in England without a dedicated art gallery. Deborah also actively engages with schools and festivals, offering free carving opportunities to nurture future artists.

As Sculptor-in-Residence at Gloucester City Works, she continues to create, teach, and inspire, ensuring that her work leaves a lasting impact both in stone and in the hearts of those who encounter it.