Thomas Merrett is a London based sculptor. He originally trained as a carver at the Art School between 2005-2008 and has taken on a number of architectural commissions throughout the UK. Tom received a scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) and moved to Italy to study at the Florence Academy of Art. Whilst there he had the opportunity to study from the live model enhancing his skills in drawing and modelling of the human form. Tom finds working in clay the best medium for developing ideas for his sculpture before converting them in to Marble, stone or Bronze. He has exhibited several times with the society of portrait sculptors and was selected to became a member of the society in 2017. He was awarded the Founders Sculpture Prize by the Worshipful Company of Founders in 2016 and has recently completed his three figure sculpture ‘Flight’ which will be exhibited later in the year.
Awards, grants and competitions
2017 RBSA Portrait Prize – Highly Commended, RBSA Gallery
2016 Founders Sculpture Prize, The Worshipful Company of Founders.
2016 Honorable Mention for drawing, The Florence Academy of Art.
2015/16 The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant.
2015 Tiranti prize – commended, FACE2015-Society of Portrait Sculptors.
2014 Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, QEST Scholar.
2008 Taylor Pearce drawing prize.
2008 Worshipful Company of Masons award.
2008 Chelsea Arts Club Trust award, Peralta prize.
Exhibitions
2017 RBSA Portrait Prize Exhibition 2017, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham, UK.
2016 Makers House, Burberry & The New Craftsmen, London.
2016 FACE2016, The Society of Portrait Sculptors, La Galleria Pall Mall, London.
2015 FACE2015, The Society of Portrait Sculptors, La Galleria Pall Mall, London.
2014 Imaginative Sculpture, The Deans Cloister, St Georges Chapel, Windsor.
2014 Royal Warrant Holders Association Annual Luncheon and QEST Awards
Ceremony, London.
2011 FACE2011, The Society of Portrait Sculptors, The Gallery, Cork Street, London.
2010 East Anglian Artist Exhibition, The Long Shop Museum, Leiston, Suffolk.
2009 Chelsea Arts Club, London.
2008 Graduation show, City and Guilds of London Art School.
Publications
2017 InLondon Magazine – Crafting the Human Image – (Spring 2017)
2014/16 QEST Magazine – Featured Article – (summer14, summer16, spring17)
2016 The Telegraph – Luxury and Design – (September 21st)
2015 The Telegraph – Uk News – (September 2015)
2014 East Anglian Daily Times – (June 26th)
Teaching
2017 Drawing tutor on short course for City & Guilds of London Art School, V&A Museum.
2015/present Visiting tutor for Historic Stone Carving and Drawing Course, City & Guilds of London Art School.
Education
2015/16 Florence Academy of Art, Florence, Italy, Sculpture Programme.
2014 The Florence Academy of Art, Florence, Italy. Summer workshop.
2012 Master class for Portrait Sculptors, Society of Portrait Sculptors, London, UK.
2005/08 City & Guilds of London Art School, First class Diploma in Historic Stone
Carving.