Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent, will host free exhibition by local artists

From Little Acorns is Art Inspired by Sissinghurst, Kent

Sissinghurst Castle Garden will host From Little Acorns: Art Inspired by Sissinghurst, a free art exhibition celebrating the work created by local artists in its ‘Gazebo’.

This summer, artists were offered the opportunity to work in Sissinghurst’s Gazebo, which was designed and erected in the formal garden by Nigel and Benedict Nicolson as a memorial to their father Harold Nicolson in 1969. It was in this Gazebo where Nigel wrote his most famous work, ‘Portrait of a Marriage’ (1973), inspired by the beauty, love and bonds that are threaded through Sissinghurst.

Dozens of contemporary artists were in turn inspired by the same views Nigel saw in that Gazebo, with 17 of those artists returning to submit their work for display in Sissinghurst’s Oast House. The individual displays will include various artistic mediums, abstract sculptures, poetry, Drag photography and much more. They will fill our Oast House along with octagonal interpretation boards which mirror the shape of the full-size Gazebo.

When asked what inspires them the most about Sissinghurst, one of the artists had this to say: “I can lose myself in Sissinghurst, inspired by the history and the beauty that is seen in each season of the year. I can then reflect this in my artwork, using bright colours to mirror those of the flowers, and getting completely lost in nature.”

From Little Acorns: Art Inspired by Sissinghurst marks the continuation of the natural artistic cycle at Sissinghurst, supporting a new generation of artists as they grow. It runs from 13th November 2022 to 6th March 2023 as a love-letter to Sissinghurst, inspiring the next generation of artists to come.