Maes y Deri
Nature in Resin

Studio Response is delighted to have appointed designer Clio Anastasiou to her first permanent commission in the public realm.  Assembled and designed in her Studio in Cardiff, Nature in Resin is made of locally sourced Cypress wood. The meticulously crafted sculptural benches are now a permanent feature of the public open space at Maes Y Deri, Barratt & David Wilson Homes South Wales (BDW)’s new residential development on Llantrisant Road, Radyr.

As a Studio we are committed to working with local graduates by offering them the opportunity to work on live public art commission briefs which are paid, and we were delighted that BDW enthusiastically agreed to work with and mentor a local, emerging designer maker on the Maes y Deri residential development.  Excitingly, Anastasiou is swiftly moving from an emerging designer maker to an accomplished name within her field in Cardiff and beyond. 

We wanted to build on our close links within the highly supportive environment at Cardiff School of Art & Design which is one of the five schools that comprise Cardiff Metropolitan University. From this relationship we were able to offer a mentoring programme to Anastasiou enabling her to work on upscaling her work for siting in the public realm.

Emily Smith, Technical Co-ordinator at Barratt & David Wilson Homes South Wales(a trading name of BDW Trading Ltd) said:

"We welcomed the opportunity to work with Clio as a local up and coming artist. We are very pleased with the finished product and feel that the benches, serving as a functional piece of public art, reflect the beauty of the woodland environment surrounding our development at Maes y Deri. We hope these benches will provide great enjoyment to the residents and serve as a beautiful piece of art for years to come."

Of her commission for Maes y Deri Clio said:

“This opportunity came to me not long after graduating from Cardiff school of Art and Design, as a woodturner. So, the challenge of creating these larger, functional pieces was immense but has taught me so much and has opened many new avenues for me. I’ve gained so much valuable experience both in my making and through working with Barratt Homes and Studio Response.

The ethos of my business has always been to let the material speak for itself and to bring its natural features and peculiarities to the forefront. Therefore, taking on this brief, to design and develop permanent artworks for the Maes Y Deri development was very exciting, as it had to be site responsive and in keeping with the semi-rural, natural environment. In response to the brief, I needed to create something that would recognise the community value of green space and bring people together, so I designed and created two benches, using native, Welsh wood in different grain profiles, bound together using environmentally friendly, clear resin, in a way that highlights the material and its beauty.”

Nature in Resin by Clio Anastasiou was commissioned by Studio Response on behalf of BDW Homes under the auspices of Cardiff Council’s Percent for Art Scheme.