Simon O’Rourke is a Liverpool born Illustration graduate, who stumbled across wood carving through working as a tree surgeon. Simon quickly realised the potential of the chainsaw in producing large scale, high impact sculpture in a short space of time. The speed and energy of this art is echoed in the surface texture, and can be used to enhance the movement of a sculpture.
Simon’s passion for classical sculpture has pushed his boundaries in this artform, and he loves the fact that something beautiful can be produced using this potentially violent and destructive machine. His work is a mixture of life studies and works of fantasy. He aims to give each piece he creates a narrative, and wants the viewer to walk away feeling they’ve just caught a glimpse of an active scene.
Simon produces commissions for private and corporate customers, and has also worked with school groups and local authorities to encourage new and emerging artists. He gives talks and demonstrations and is involved in a Welsh Assembly Government initiative promoting entrepreneurship and running businesses within schools and FE colleges.
He has also competed in competitions around the world, winning several awards at an international level.
