From Nature
5 July - 14 September 2025
From Nature is the inaugural exhibition at Thorns Gallery. It showcases the work of three artists for whom Nature in its most direct unadulterated form has served as not only clear inspiration but also a source of raw material for their practice. The clay of Cornwall for the pottery of Janet Leach, the mohair wool of the Karoo desert for the tapestries of Graeme Black and the trees of Wales for the sculptural works of Simon Gaiger.
The works being shown span a time period of over 60 years but when shown and seen together they clearly transcend time and resonate with one another to magnify the impact on the viewer.
Nature, when channeled through the work of these three artists is masculine, is deeply textural, is immensely powerful and as a source of inspiration is clearly timeless.
The works are available to view by appointment only at Thorns Gallery.
Graeme Black
Nature, form, colour, and texture have shaped Graeme Black’s life and work, from his childhood on Scotland’s rocky east coast to his acclaimed career in international fashion, and now, as a burgeoning artist in the Yorkshire Dales.
He began his career under leading designers in London before spending 15 years in Italy, working closely with Giorgio Armani before becoming Creative Director of womenswear at Salvatore Ferragamo.
In 2016 he decided to step back from his fashion career to devote his time to the regeneration project he and his partner had embarked on in the landscape of Upper Wensleydale. It was here where he found his artistic raison d’etre.
Inspired by the trees around him, Black soon brought their chameleonic colouring, and naïve complexities to life on canvas. A series of large-scale tapestries were then made by the Stephen’s Tapestry Studio in South Africa based on his oil paintings which explore the rich textures and abstract forms of trees. The translation to hand-dyed mohair tapestries (a truly 3-D art form) brings these works to life in a way unachievable with paint alone.
Simon Gaiger
Simon Gaiger is a sculptor whose work includes furniture pieces. Many of his works are carved from large greenwood timbers, their shapes suggested by the forms and energy within the raw wood.Traditional and experimental forging and welding techniques are a component of his wooden furniture pieces, as well as the focus of his sculptural practice. In his steel sculptures there is a raw tension of opposing forces, elements strain and pull against each other or balance precipitously.
Influences from a childhood in Sudan, Uganda and the South Pacific can be found in his work, as well as knowledge gathered from time spent working as a shipwright’s assistant and shepherd in the Falklands, and training in landscape construction. The ancient and post-industrial landscapes of Wales, where he lives and works, are an undercurrent in his imagery too. Simon’s sculptures are simultaneously human and landscape, narrative and abstract – the energy of their forms and the universality of their themes give them their resonance.
Janet Leach
In collaboration with Willoughby Gerrish
The name Leach is synonymous with pottery, and while Janet Leach was often overshadowed by her husband Bernard Leach, she made a significant and lasting impact on studio pottery in the UK. After marrying Bernard in 1956, Janet played a central role in the success of the Leach Pottery in St Ives, managing its operations and contributing to the international reputation of the studio. A pioneering artist in a male-dominated field, she was the first non-native woman to study pottery in Japan, training under Shōji Hamada in Mashiko, a formative experience that deeply influenced her work. Her pieces, marked by organic forms, natural asymmetry, and a bold, eclectic style, reflect a deep sensitivity to material and process, as well as a dynamic blend of Japanese philosophy and Western technique.
Over the years, she exhibited in both Japan and the UK, with solo shows at venues including the Primavera Gallery and the British Crafts Centre. A retrospective of her work was held at Tate St Ives in 2006–2007, and her ceramics are held in major collections such as the V&A Museum, The Fitzwilliam Museum, and York Art Gallery.
