Susan Leyland

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Equine sculptures

From an early age Susan Leyland has loved horses. She moved to Florence in 1973 where she initially worked in the fashion industry, then as an English language teacher and later as a riding instructor. In 2000 she decided to dedicate her time to sculpture, combining both her love for horses and for art. Susan lives near Impruneta which has been famous for its terracotta since Etruscan times. This stony clay is usually used for making urns, bricks and statues and this is what Susan initially learnt to scultp in.

Susan's work is now modelled in semi-fireclay of different colours and each sculpture takes about a month to create, beginning with the basic form to the final surface finish. When the sculptures are completely dry they are fired for a week at the MITAL terracotta works. Susan also makes her work in bronze.

Selected Exhibitions

1998 Il Giardino, Florence

1999 Premio Firenze - group exhibition Galleria Tornabuoni, Florence

2000 Frost & Reed, London & NY,Galleria Tornabuoni, Florence & Pietrasanta, Palazzo Corsini, Florence

2001 Frost & Reed, London & NY, Galleria Tornabuoni, Florence & Pietrsanta, The Gallery, Place des Voges, Paris, San Siro, Milan

2002 Frost & Reed, London & NY, The Gallery, Place des Voges, Paris, Galleria Tornabuoni, Florence & Pietrasanta, Primo Premio Scultura - Equine Art Guild, Penne & Carta, Naples

2003 SS Annuziata al Poggio Imperiale, Florence

2004 Fiera dell'Arte Contemporanea, Genova, Gio Art, Lucca, Galleria Tornabuoni, Pietrasanta

2005 Alan Kluckow Fine Art, Sunningdale, Frost & Reed, London, Galleri Hippo, Stockholm, Galleria Tornabuoni, Florence & Pietrasanta

2006 Galleria Tournabuoni, Pietrasanta

2006-2009 Alan Kluckow Fine Art, Sunningdale

2009 Medici Gallery, London in association with Alan Kluckow Fine Art