New stone sculpture coming to UEA Sainsbury Centre art trail

Sculptor Anton Ford’s seven-foot stone carving – Tokiwai/Water Adze – will be added to the Sainsbury Centre art trail near the UEA lake for three years.  

Ford’s work takes inspiration from the use of stones by early Māori – who could select and shape some of the hardest rocks in the world into tools and weapons with knowledge passed through generations. 

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The new sculpture would be situated in the sculpture park close to UEA lake (Image: Courtesy Luke Foley-Martin) READ MORE: Backlash over painting of Tombland well-known statues

A document submitted with the plans explains that the Tokiwai/Water Adze is “inspired by the first tools that were used to cut, create, build, weave, skin and dig water trenches that allow water to flow and give life.”

Anton Forde has been carving since he was 18 and studied under sculptors Paul Dibble, Gary Whiting and Paul Hansen.

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The sculpture would be on loan for three years (Image: Archant) The sculpture park at UEA has expanded since 2016 and contains three sculptures by sculptor Antony Gormley added in 2017.

The Sainsbury Centre (Image: Archant)