Beth Cullen-Kerridge facts for kids

Beth Cullen-Kerridge (born 1970) is a talented English sculptor. She creates amazing art pieces, often focusing on everyday objects and human forms.

Early Life and Artistic Journey

Beth Cullen-Kerridge was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in 1970. Her mother, Judith Vincent, was a businesswoman, and her father, James Cullen, was a painter. Growing up with a painter father likely sparked her interest in art!

She studied art at two well-known universities: John Moores University and the Royal College of Art. These schools helped her develop her skills and unique artistic style.

In 1994, Beth achieved a special milestone. She was the very first artist chosen to create a sculpture for the Napoleon Garden exhibition in Holland Park, London. Her sculptures were later displayed in two other famous London parks, showing how much her work was appreciated.

Her Sculptures and Exhibitions

Beth's sculptures have been shown in many exhibitions across England. She even created special pieces for her hometown of Stoke-on-Trent.

Before becoming a well-known sculptor herself, Beth worked as an assistant in places called foundries. Foundries are workshops where metal sculptures are made. There, she helped create works for famous sculptors like Eduardo Paolozzi, Elisabeth Frink, and Sir Anthony Caro. This experience helped her learn a lot about making large-scale art.

In 2014, Beth had an exhibition at Hoxton Arches in East London. One of her notable works there was a sculpture called "Hung out to Dry," which looked like a formal shirt on a crucifix. Another interesting sculpture she created shows a shirt torso with a shark fin sticking out from the back. She also exhibited her art at Gallery Different in London in October 2015.

A Break for Business

In 2004, Beth moved to Norfolk to work on renovating properties. A year later, in 2005, she moved to Marlow in Buckinghamshire. There, she and her husband, chef Tom Kerridge, opened a special kind of restaurant called a gastropub named The Hand and Flowers.

They were able to buy the pub with money Beth received from a sculpture project for a roundabout in Stoke. For several years, she focused on developing the restaurant business and took a break from creating sculptures.

Returning to Art

Even with her success in the restaurant business, Beth's passion for sculpture remained strong. In 2010, she traveled to Carrara, Italy. Carrara is famous for its marble quarries and skilled marble carvers. Beth went there to study marble carving with local artisans, learning new techniques and expanding her artistic abilities.

Beth and Tom Kerridge have one son, Acey, who was born in 2015.