Gareth Griffiths
Gareth is a Welsh sculptor originally from North Wales. He studied sculpture at Bretton Hall College – (University of Leeds) graduating in 2002, and then subsequently went on to complete a Masters in Design from Leeds Metropolitan in 2004.
Most recently Gareth was elected as a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Gareth has exhibited across the world in galleries in London, Liverpool (Tate Gallery), Leeds, and Cardiff. Internationally, Gareth has had work on exhibition in Europe, Los Angeles and Palm Springs, and Singapore, his work can be seen in private collections across Europe, America and Australia.
Gareth’s work has also been on permanent display at Michael O’Hare's Michelin-starred restaurant “The Man Behind The Curtain” in Leeds. Gareth’s sculptures are influenced by West coast American architecture called “Googie” The origin of Googie derives from a John Lautner designed coffee shop built in West Hollywood.
This style of architecture was born after the Second World War and became better known during the 50s and 60s. Originally appearing first in commercial buildings and used primarily for restaurants, coffee shops, motels, gas stations and bowling alleys to name a few, architects at the time wanted to design buildings that stood out from others.
By using distinct styling that included flowing lines, odd abstract cut-outs, upswept roofs, boomerang shapes and with the use of new technologies, architects were able to design buildings that looked more like works of art rather than simply functional buildings.