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British sculptor, Paul Hazelton, known for his extraordinary sculptural works with dust, was born in Margate in 1962. He says that he ‘grew up close to the sea in a pristine, somewhat claustrophobic home environment, where the only material I was permitted to use was pencil.’ His fascination with dust originated from this early period and grew out of his drawing practice. He has recently begun to produce poetically charged photographic images. ‘Combing the beaches around Margate, I search for little undiscovered gems or hidden meanings in the environment that I then combine with other sensibilities through the processes of sculpture, drawing and, more recently, photography.’

The images illustrated here were made in 2019 during the first lockdown of the pandemic and the sculptural objects Hazelton has constructed to photograph are based on the seaweed known as Mermaid’s Purse. His vulnerable, naked figures are safely encased, but are alone in their bubble. These works reflect his mission as an artist: he is on a ‘metaphysical quest … searching, through his work, for the ultimate quintessence, 'the thing that holds everything together.’ Hazelton has exhibited in the UK and internationally in many different kinds of spaces, including domestic settings, abandoned buildings, churches and museums.

How It Is 2020
12 x 12 inches print on 16 x 16 inches paper
C-type print on archival paper. Hand-printed by Bayeux, London
Edition of 10 + 2 AP

Faraway Nearby 2020
12 x 12 inches print on 16 x 16 inches paper
C-type print on archival paper. Hand-printed by Bayeux, London
Edition of 10 + 2 AP