Ian Kirkpatrick

Canadian sculptor Ian Kirkpatrick designs and builds his own consumer packaging from cardboard, plastic and Styrofoam, creating intricate sculptural forms that merge contemporary art and packaging design. He’s interested in the ways that everyday disposable containers express our society’s myths, obsessions and values—recalling the ritualistic function of ancient decorative vessels such as Greek vases and Egyptian sarcophagi.

Ian’s four “Immortals” presented here explore humanity’s ongoing obsession with fame, fortune and eternal life. Displayed in monumental fashion and evoking cultural icons of past and present, his figures are nevertheless doomed to decay and destruction. Their ornamented, glossy surfaces are undermined by their disposable materials – hinting at the impossibility of true permanence, especially in our fast-paced consumer society full of temporary heroes and fleeting fashions.

Ian’s sculptural work has been exhibited across the UK and internationally, and has been commissioned for events including the Tour de France and the 2012 London Olympics. Ian is currently Leverhulme Artist-in-Residence with Leeds Museums and Galleries.