Russell Jakubowski
The primary focus of my work is the making of Sculpture. But I also create Video and make Hybrid Digital Print editions which coalesce with three dimensional ideas.
My recurring inspiration lies in the connections and relationships between human processes on a psychological level, and interpersonal connections on a social level.
My work serves to physically visualize the connections within the individual and between people. Forms and designs become representations of systems we are a part of. Appearing as networks that are constantly being supplied with new content and information from perception, experience, and reflection.
An artistic investigation of circumstances via a meticulous examination of materials and their technical possibilities. Increasingly I have been using PVC, Perspex, and HDPE.
W: russelljakubowski.com W: woldtgallery.com and @InkRussell
Qualifications and Training
1987 Winchester School Of Art. BA (Hons) Fine Art, Sculpture.
2005 Open University - PGCE Design and Technology.
Solo Exhibitions
1989 RYE ART GALLERY - Exhibition of Woodcarvings.
1990 IN WOOD. Woodcarvings and Drawings. Harvey Road Gallery, Guildford.
1996 FOOD FOR THOUGHT. Engravings & food packaging casts. Horsham Arts Centre.
2012 SCULPTURE AND WORKS ON THE WALL. Laminated plywood constructions and single plane reliefs. The Allen Gallery, Alton.
2012 RECENT SCULPTURE. The Jowett Centre, Alton.
2013 BETWEEN THE LINES. Digital prints and laminated plywood and glass constructions. The Jowett Centre, Alton.
Group Exhibitions
1990 Hampton Court Flower Festival - Woodcarvings in garden setting.
1990 6 Artists. Harvey Road Gallery, Guildford.
1991 Sculpture in the Garden. Deans Court, Wimborne, Dorset.
1991 Flights of Fancy. Wax Kiln Gallery, Farnham.
1993 Sculpture in the Garden Deans Court, Wimborne, Dorset.
1993 Open Door - Sculpture and Painting by 29 British Artists. Halton House and Barnards Inn, Holborn, London.
Recruited selectors: Bill Varley (then art critic: Guardian) and Michael Kenny RA. Sponsors: Silhouette Eyeware and The Mercers Company. (I conceived, organised, set up and manned this exhibition with a fellow sculptor)
1994 Open Door 94 - Painting and Sculpture by 41 British Artists. 65 Kingsway, Holborn, London WC2. Recruited selectors: Brian Catlin (Ruskin School, Oxford University) and Jennifer Durrant RA. Sponsors: The Weraldhave Corperation.
(I conceived, organised, set up and manned this exhibition with a fellow sculptor)
1998 Beatrice Royal Gallery. Eastleigh, Hants.
2014 Guildford Cathedral. 20th Anniversary exhibition. Surrey Sculpture Society.
2018 Surrey Artist Open Studios - ‘Text Box” shown at Guildford Library
Selected Workshops
2003 INDIAN ART. Mixed Media Constructions. George Abbot School, Guildford.
2004 A VEHICLE FOR THE SOUL. Implementing Creativity and Inspiration through the Arts. Willow constructions with Surrey based NQT’s on behalf of 4S.
2007 LASTING IMPRESSIONS. Sculpture workshop for NQT’s in Hampshire on behalf of J. Stillman HIAS.
2007 MAKING YOUR MARK. Clay modelling. Weyfield Jnr School Guildford.
2008 CASTING WORKSHOPS FOR PRACTISING ART TEACHERS. Toynbee School, Chandlers Ford.
2009 PRESS MOULDS AND PLASTER CASTS for Arts Festival. Bridgemary Community School, Fareham.
2009 UNFOLDING PLYWOOD SCULPTURES with Yr 10. Ditcham Park School, Petersfield.
2011 CONSTRUCTED WILLOW SCULPTURES with Yr 5. Sythwood Primary School, Woking.
2014 MODELING AND CASTING FROM FOUND OBJECTS. William Gilpin School, Lymington.
2016 WILLOW AND CLAY MODELLING with children with disabilities. Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Trust Fund.
2016 LAYERED MODELING AND CASTING with Yr 5 at Cranleigh Primary School. Supporting Contour Seat Commission.
2016 LAYERED MODELING AND CASTING with Yr 9 at Glebelands School Cranleigh. Supporting Contour Seat Commission.
2016 RELIEF MOLDING AND CASTING with St Josephs, Cranleigh. Supporting Contour Seat Commission.
2016 MOLD MAKING AND CASTING with Surrey Artists Group at Alderbrook Studio. Re: Contour Seat Commission.
2016 EGGAR’S COMMUNITY ARTS WEEK. Working with students who have a dissability from Surrey and Hampshire.
(On behalf of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association)
2017 HENRY MOORE - The Lightbox, Woking. Working with the Young Curators to make work inspired by the exhibition.
2017 HENRY MOORE - The Lightbox, Woking. Modeling and casting with Adults to make work inspired by the exhibition.
2017 EGGAR’S COMMUNITY ARTS WEEK. Working with students who have a dissability from Surrey and Hampshire.
(On behalf of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association)
2018 ELIZABETH FRINK - The Lightbox, Woking. Adult Workshop to make ‘heads’ based on sculptures in the exhibition.
2018 DAISY - Sculpture Workshops with 9 disability art groups within the Disability Arts In Surrey organisation.
2019 HEADS -- working with Y8 pupils at St Neot’s Middle School to build heads using polystyrene and plaster bandage.
2019 ALTON LIVE - EGGAR’S COMMUNITY ARTS WEEK. Working with students who have a dissability from Surrey and Hampshire. (On behalf of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association)
Commissions / Collaborative Projects with Primary Schools
1987 WORK ON LOAN/HIRE to: Hook County Junior School and Newlands School, Hampshire.
1989 TESTAMENT TO TELEVISION. Hook County Jnr School. Cast and Painted Relief Screen.
1993 MY ENVIRONMENT. 18 Mixed Media Hangings. Reigate Priory Middle School.
1995 RISE AND FALL. Carved anniversary School Sign. St. Mary’s School, Frensham.
1995 THE UNDIVIDING LINE. Metamorphosis of Drawings into Objects. West Byfleet Junior School.
1995 ENVIRONMENTAL AGGREGATES. Cement sculpture made from casts of natural and man made objects.
West Byfleet Junior School.
2002 MAZE. 6m x 9m Maze. Play area using silhouette shape panels. Ferhhurst Junior School.
2003 WORDWORM. Word/Poetry inspired collage spanning 3 floors in stairwell. GHS Junior School, Guildford.
2004 BASE 7. Pictographic date progression derived from number base 7. (7m x 2m). GHS Junior School, Guildford.
2006 CREATIVE WRITING/POETRY inspired multicoloured word collage spanning 2 floors of stairwell and progressing onto a classroom wall. St Petres Jnr School, Yateley.
2007 UNSEEN BY THE NAKED EYE. Interlocking Circular Bass Relief. Cast from clay moulds, reflecting the beauty of the micro and macroscopic world.
2007 LIVING WILLOW TUNNEL planted/constructed with the help of the pupils. St Pauls Primary School, Dorking.
2007 LIVING WILLOW TUNNEL planted/constructed with the help of the pupils. Brockham Primary School, Dorking.
2009 RELIEF MURAL (25m long) in white cement spanning 3 external walls at the entrance area of the school. Comprised of 64 individual tiles each made by a pupil in Yr5. Merdon Junior School, Chandlers Ford.
2014 CENTENARY SEAT. With wraparound cast relief designed by the 214 pupils at Langrish Primary School. Stroud.
Commissions / Collaborative Projects with Secondary Schools
2001 PIXEL MOBILES. Mould making and Casting From Life to clad two mobile 3D forms. Kings College Guildford.
2002 GAUDI INSPIRED BENCH SEATING. Two bench seats each measuring 10m x 2m x 1m. Constructed from carved and fired brick clay. George Abbot School, Guildford.
2004 Ashford High School. 1 week summer school. Line drawn pertraits with Y7 pupils.
2005 ONE WORLD . External wall relief celebrating cultural unity. 2m in diameter. Warlingham Secondary School.
2006 JOSEPHS ‘MULTITEXTURED’ DREAMCOAT. 3.4m high Cement Dreamcoat mounted on Performing Arts block wall. Henry Cort Community School, Fareham.
2007 SENSORY GARDEN. Comprising Screens, Carved Seats and Wall mounted reliefs for a quiet area in the school grounds. Park Primary School, Aldershot.
2008 TECHNOLOGY DINOSAUR. 6 Panels reflecting the soon to be obsolete present. St John Fisher Community School, Peterborough.
2009 THE HARDER I TRY. Cement relief mural completed with 48 Yr 8 students (2m x 3m). Fixed to external wall of Art + DT building. Ditcham Park School, Petersfield.
Commissions / Collaborative Projects with Special Needs Schools
2006 ART WITHOUT BORDERS - Bass relief sculpture project with Polish, Hungarian, Spannish, German and English SN pupils. 2.4m in diameter - Osborne School, Winchester.
2007 POWERHOUSE - Interlocking plaster cast bass relief incorporating work by every pupil and member of staff at the school. 10.6m x 4.3m. Hollywater School, Bordon.
2008 COMENIUS SCULPTURE PROJECT - White cement construction made up of 32 cast figures occupying negative and positive space. Made with pupils from Y10. 1.75m x 1.3m x 1.2m. Osborne School, Winchester.
Further Commissions and Residencies
1987 Itchen Hamble Countryside Project: Oak Totem carved from living tree (H = 25ft). Hamble Copse, Hampshire.
1994 Council for World Missions: Commemorative Bronze Bust of the Rev. Robert Brown, Papua New Guinea.
2010 Cast concrete seating (2.5m3) with 8 relief panels for Whiteley Parish council.
2016 Greensands Way public seating commission - Reynards Hill.
2018 Read-Code-Make: Worked with Dr Prior to design construct and programme an Interactive Sculpture (based on Frank Herberts - Dune) for touring exhibition, Surrey Libraries.
2018 Lead Artist - Flotilla project. Working with artists from DAISY to build fantasy craft inspired by James Henry Pullen for exhibition at the Lightbox, Woking.
2019 Artist in residence at Watts Gallery, Compton. Producing site specific sculpture and working with the Art For All community in response to the Christina Rossetti Exhibition.
Other career details
1991 - 1994 P/T Technician - Royal Academy Schools.
1992 - 1994 Co Founder - Open Door (Fine Art Exhibitions).
1997 - 1999 Artists After School - Devised and co-ordinated after school arts workshops led by practising artists.
2002 - 2005 Technology Teacher KS3, 4 & 5.