Artist: David Harber
David Harber is based at his workshops in Aston Upthorpe, Oxfordshire, nestled in the shadow of a Bronze Age hill fort. Harber set up his family-run company over twenty years ago when they began to produce sundials which, in various forms, are still very much part of the business. However, their vision broadened to include innovative sculptural designs which are visible around the world in private and public gardens. Prestigious projects include sculptures in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Liberty Center mixed use development in Cincinnati, the Al-Rawdha Palace in Bahrain and the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in France. In 2016, the company was honoured with The Queen’s Award for International Trade for outstanding overseas growth while remaining committed to British design and craftsmanship.
Harber views his sculptures as a marriage of art and science and sees the design and creation of the pieces as a constant education and fantastic journey. He comments, ‘When I make my sculpture, I am an engineer. I want to design something that will have its integrity and still convey the same message with the same dignity in two, three, four hundred years…. I want to make things that are deep within me, that need to come out.’ Always excited by the freedom of pure sculpture Harber believes that ‘to transcend time, that is our legacy.’ Harber works in association with his clients so that each piece is custom-made to suit the setting so that the sculpture synchronizes with the mood of the environment, either making a bold statement or harmonising with natural or man-made elements.
Harber has added the element of water to many of his sculptures which creates movement and a sense of energy and he is always aware of how lighting of, or within, his sculptures can add different dimensions and alter effects and atmosphere.
All the sculptures can be customised in a range of materials, sizes and finishes.