Raphael Daden is an artist who is based in Nottingham. He studied at Loughborough College in 1994, with a deep investment in developing new skills.
He grew in this environment getting to know his artistic nature, developing sculpting skills, and establishing a great passion for sculpture working with photographs and taking the wood and placing them in various environments. Continuing to work with wood led to frustrating him as an artist. One of the first set of buyers to purchase his work was the college. This would have been a great achievement. During this time, Raphael was signing on as unemployed.
He was able to study 6 hours a day, living on his benefits for support and. enabling him to develop as an artist.
With commissions spanning from 1998 to the present date and with multiple awards, Raphael made great steps forward and he achieved reviews of work in established papers.
Raphael’s work is about the materials and through those materials he connects words and sculpture together.
He was influenced by sculpturer
Constantin Brâncuși , an influential sculpturer of modernism, using
sleek minimal rounded shapes in wood and colours in his works.
His advice was to use the opportunities a degree gave you to experiment with a variety of materials and styles and to hone your individual style after the completion of the degree.
He spoke about the connection with senses and emotion when creating which is important to me.
Whilst working it is important to be aware of markets and the finances so that the opportunity to keep working is always there.
Weymouth is an art piece of his.
The environment in which he places this work with the words and the circular piece of artwork with various filters of blue initially makes you think it is about the human via the sea, looking through a circle which resembles a mirror but also a porthole feels still and meditative. Utilising the materials such as resin ,stainless steel and stone which echo the environment of the sea with the clear material that is resin. To use stone and steel makes you think about traditional British seaside environments. With his use of words by poet Aly Stoneman, that adds to the feeling of the environment the human experience . Aly is a poet who looks at the human experience with their environment.
Raphael Daden The levels are changing 2021
Belfast Northern Ireland
An art piece placed within the scenery of a hospital
Bringing the environment of the sea within this commission draws on a stillness and calm from the sea for an environment that is changing every minute due to the nature of a hospital. The commissioned art brought a piece of stillness to the environment which we know will have a change of scenes feelings and moods
His work is placed where one could take some time out sometimes to reflect and simply breathe with his use of materials mirroring the place. People are able to use this space and have some stillness or maybe find clarity bringing an outside natural environment to the inside . He is an artist who has a sensitivity to really thinking about the use of environment using natural and artifical lighting and the use of words. Raphael Daden’s
work creates a feeling of peace through what it is and the environment and use of materials
Raphael Daden Sea Pattern 2010
This work was placed in a hospital, where you can be still and relax. The colour on the glass and the mood of the lighting would help towards these feelings. This piece along with the other piece shows how Raphael thinks and feels the environment in which he placed. This work alongside the people who may interact with his work
