Sheffield Waymarkers

2022

Norfolk Park is a thoughtfully designed new housing scheme to the south-east of the city centre. The extensive project features new residential development in a green setting, leading eventually to the adjacent Norfolk Heritage Park. My concept for the waymarkers was to create artworks that play on the juxtaposition of the built and natural environment, to connect the green spaces and to help orientate the pedestrian through the new development.

Community input was constrained by Covid 19, but working with my daughter Anya Sirina we devised a website dedicated to the project which allowed residents to take part in drawing and painting workshops based on leaves and trees, as well as sense-of-place exercises. Sheffield Housing Company fully supported us throughout with access to their social media. A big thanks to all who made this project happen in difficult times – you know who you are!

With everybody’s support I created a series of six pillars in Pennine sandstone, standing at shoulder height at key points on the walk to the Park. Each pillar echoes the others, but each is an individual feature in the landscape. With motifs in cropped face stone inspired by leaves and natural forms, the rising layers of sandstone strata also reference another sense of growth, as new life comes to this part of the city and new stories are layered upon the setting.

Their distinctive imagery, quality of build and sympathetic fit with the surrounding architecture led them to winning the Sheffield Civic Trust award for best public art, in the Sheffield Design Awards 2022.

For a short video entitled Art to the Park, about these sculptures and to see how we installed them, please visit it here

Read More

Read Less