British sculptor Jamie Frost brings wood to life in new powerful, captivating sculptures

Kicking off at the Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, the smell, textures and colours of the sculptures make this exhibition a multi-sensory experience where bark, saw marks and energetic splinters contrast with exceptional craftsmanship.

It's the first time the artist's sculptures of such large scale and complexity are being shown. The exhibition centres around three major works, shown alongside numerous smaller sculptures, and a selection of supporting drawings. The largest of the sculptures titled, Unbrush My Hair, stands an impressive eight feet high and has been hand-carved from a single ash tree.

Frost is a figurative sculptor and draughtsman who grew up close to The Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, and his practice is strongly influenced by time spent working in Tuscany. Noted for his portraiture and figurative drawings, he is an award-winning artist who has exhibited internationally and across the UK. "Wood is a fleshy material, and I want the visitor to have a sense of the figures I make, not just see them. In their presence, it's hard, even for me, not to feel something when looking them in the eye. While making, I think about the people I draw, the people I've known, the person I am. I invite people to identify with these – an affinity with the material should make that possible."

20-21 Visual Arts Centre is housed in the former St. John's Church building in Church Square, Scunthorpe. The backdrop of the church architecture greatly compliments Jamie Frost's work. The Way of All Flesh runs until 3 October 2020.