Now on display until 31st August

As part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, artist Paul Cummins has created a spectacular ceramic rose installation for Castle Howard.  The English Flower Garden is one in a series of six exhibitions to go on display in the UK; other locations include Chiswick House, The Houses of Parliament, Blenheim Palace, The Secret Gardens of Sandwich and the Althorp Estate.  Each exhibition features different flowers associated with its site – meadow blooms, roses, sweetpeas, delphiniums.  It is estimated that by the end of his project, Paul will have created in excess of 14,000 flower heads!

Every rose head is individually hand-formed and then Majolica glazed before being mounted onto large metal frames of twisting wire rods to create their distinctive aesthetic. The glaze is never precise giving rise to different hues of red, blue, yellow, white and green flowers that adds to the beauty of the 5 sculptures. Each frame carries approximately 300 roses, giving a sense of English hedgerows as well as cultivated rose gardens. The Roses are located in the Boar Garden and near the entrance to the Exhibition Wing.

Paul has severe dyslexia, and The English Flower Garden has been commissioned by the Unlimited programme, part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Unlimited encourages collaborations and partnerships between disability arts organisations, disabled and deaf artists, producers and mainstream organisations to celebrate the inspiration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to create original and exciting works. Twenty-nine Unlimited Commissions have been awarded.

Unlimited is principally funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor and is delivered in partnership between London 2012, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the British Council.

Paul Cummins, born in 1977, originally studied art and design at Chesterfield College before taking a BA in Environmental Architecture at Sheffield Hallam University, which led to employment around the world. In 2005 he returned to the UK as a mature student to pursue his studies in ceramics at Derby University. Having established his studio in Chesterfield, Paul was selected for New Designers One Year On showcase in 2010 and his first major installation was at Chatsworth House the same year. His work is regularly exhibited at the Tregoning Gallery in Derby.

The English Country Garden is now on display until 31st August.  Open daily from 10am.

To find out more about the Cultural Olympiad visit www.london2012.com/about-us/cultural-olympiad