biography

Peter Nava’s work includes both stylised figurative and abstract stone sculptures. His preference is to carve English and French limestones and alabaster. He practises direct carving by hand, choosing not to use maquettes or drawings and sculpting freely in a process of discovery.

Peter particularly enjoys working with reclaimed stone from ancient or historical buildings or stone surplus to restoration projects or once worked before by an unknown stone-mason and probably with the same simple tools. He uses power tools infrequently.

He is most inspired by the sculpture from early civilisations and mediaeval church carvings because of the apparent but illusory simplicity and sometimes serenity of their creations.

After retirement from a medical career, Peter pursued learning to sculpt. He makes stylised figurative pieces while generally ignoring his medical knowledge of the human form.

Peter finds the creation of sculptures by destroying the existing façade of the stone and extracting new form to be fulfilling and challenging.

He has exhibited sculptures at:

  • Kingham Lodge 2018
  • Open Rugby Art Gallery and Museum exhibition held in 2019
  • the Mall Galleries, London in the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2019
  • Spetchley Park, Worcestershire 2020 (Oxford Sculptors Group)
  • The Abbey House Gardens, Malmesbury, Wiltshire 2021 (Cotswold Sculptors Association)
  • The Broadway Arts Festival Open Art Competition Selling Exhibition, Worcestershire 2021.
  • Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire 2021 (Cotswold Sculptors Association).
  • Spetchley Park, Worcestershire 2021 (Oxford Sculptors Group).
  • Gallery Different, Fitzrovia, London in the 2021 Annual Exhibition of Stonemasonry (the Worshipful Company of Stonemasons) in November. 
  • Miserden Gardens, Gloucestershire 2022 (Cotswold Sculptors Association)
  • Spetchley Park, Worcestershire 2022 (Oxford Sculptors Group)
  • The Broadway Arts Festival Open Art Competition Selling Exhibition, Worcestershire 2022 in October
  • Gallery Different, Fitzrovia, London in the 2022 Annual Exhibition of Stonemasonry (the Worshipful Company of Stonemasons) in November.
  • Kingham Lodge 2023
  • Miserden Gardens, Gloucestershire 2023 (Cotswold Sculptors Association)