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Inside Dylan Lewis' surreal sculpture garden

The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden is metaphor for evolution and the human experience

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By House & Garden South Africa | October 1, 2021 | Art

Located in Stellenbosch at the end of a private road in Paradyskloof you will find one of the few artist sculpture gardens currently existing across the globe, The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden.

What started as an unplanned project has naturally morphed into a large scale immersive experience titled, A Dark Eden: Paradise lost and found, a collaboration between nature and an artists vision that tells the story of evolution and the human experience.

Picture: Dylan Lewis with Vortex sculpture. Pardus Fine Art CC

While initially sculptures were placed, replaced or moved until they settled into the garden, they have now become intertwined with the space, creating a dialogue. The landscaping informed the placement of particular sculptures, while the nature of Lewis’ sculpture practice informed the forms excavated and moulded into the earth itself.

Applying the same techniques he would have done for a smaller work, he worked with the sightlines of the surrounding mountains with the garden forming part of a much larger composition that includes the landscape.

“In taking people around the garden I talk to ideas which inform my own journey, emotionally and philosophically. So it’s an immersive experience in that sense.”, Lewis shares.

Dylan Lewis’ sculptures express a constant dance through their symbolism, animalistic versus human, serenity and struggle.

“All of nature has this dichotomy, even a suburban garden.”, Lewis added.

Visits to the Dylan Lewis Studio and Sculpture Garden are by appointment only. To make a booking request, please visit the website at dylanlewis.com, call +27 (0)21 880 0054 or email [email protected].

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