Mary Sewell is an artist and a maker and works from her studio at Portland Works a former cutlery factory in Sheffield  http://www.portlandworks.co.uk/makers/mary-sewell.

 She uses clay to sculpt and hand builds figurative sculptures.  She sources local pigments which she uses in her sculpture and paintings.  Her practice is an organic, open work structure and her interest lies in the earth and her exploration into materials; earth pigments, clay,  detritus,  recycled materials and found objects.   Her sculpture is figurative and is influenced by prehistoric figurines from around the world and ancient cultures.

She has travelled extensively in Asia, middle East, and Africa and is influenced by ancient cultures.  Having walked amongst the tomb raided sites of Siwa, an urban oasis in Egypt within the Great Sand Sea,  picking up remains of funereal wrappings and  holding small pieces of the past in her hands.   Climbing into the Bhimbetka caves in Madhya Pradesh where she saw some of the oldest cave paintings known, made from prehistoric dyes and pigments.   From the ancient site of Giza to the beautiful natural forms of the termite structures found in Somalia.   The colours and textures of these places, often in and around the desert and rooted in the earth,  have stayed with her and found a lasting resonance within her work and these influences can be seen in her paintings and sculptures.  Many of the earliest figures have been made in clay and have survived over the centuries and Mary enjoys that connection with this tactile material that people have been using for thousands of years.

Marys work is evocative of ancient artefacts from another time and place.It has an earthy, yet spiritual feel which is expressed through the strength and weight of their postures and their enigmatic presence.