Sculptor and Maker
Born in 1966, Mark Bowman is a self-taught sculptor whose practice is informed by a background in construction and industrial environments. He initially trained as an architectural technician before further developing his skills alongside a master stone mason and an artist blacksmith, formative experiences that continue to underpin his approach to making. He later spent eight years working on oil rigs, where the stark visual language of industrial structures and the elemental force of the natural environment left a lasting impression on his work.
Bowman’s sculpture examines the relationship between organic form and structural order. His engagement with natural processes such as erosion and growth informs both his subtractive carving practice and his additive work in materials including clay and plaster. Motifs such as vertebrae, ivy, trees, and architectural forms recur throughout the work, resulting in sculptures that articulate a considered dialogue between the natural and the constructed.
After many years of maintaining a part-time sculptural practice, Bowman began exhibiting publicly in 2022. His debut at the Cotswold Sculpture Association’s Creating Spaces exhibition was recognised with the People’s Choice Award, and he also received the Best Body of Work award at the Great Northern Art Show. In 2023, his sculpture Shell #1 was awarded the Open Exhibition Prize at the Royal Scottish Academy. His work has subsequently been presented in exhibitions including The Sculpture Gallery, Leeds, Moncrieff-Bray, Cotswold Sculpture Park, Sculpture at Doddington Hall, and Creating Spaces at Miserden Gardens.