William Cobbing’s commission, Paradise Garden, consists of seven quarried stone boulder forms, each inlaid with ceramic tiles referencing the archaeology, history and flora of the ancient site of Greyfriars Place. The configuration of sculptures creates a special place within the renewed environment, presenting the public with a tactile experience and an invitation to engage with the history of the site.
‘I would like my work to imbue the area with a subtle feeling of being akin to a haven, in the sense that people can spend time in this area in a contemplative way, but also as a social space, and an area for play, as well as a reflective moment away from the busy shopping area. At the heart of the work is a sense of trying to allude to the type of garden that would have existed when the friary was there, to link back to the medieval past, through carefully located sculptural works that enhance the experience of the area.’
– William Cobbing, 2017
