“Alice in Wonderland's Cheshire Cat sculpture. Commissioned by Oxford University, this piece resides permanently in the trees of the Botanic Garden.”
Commissioned by Oxford University for the historic Oxford Botanic Garden, this sculpture pays homage to one of literature's most famous felines. The location holds deep historical significance, as Lewis Carroll and the real-life Alice visited these very gardens frequently.
The sculpture is nestled naturally into the fork of a living tree, peering down at visitors from the branches. To create the creature's thick, shaggy coat, I used extensive, heavy weld-beading across the entire surface of the stainless steel. The cat features large, unblinking eyes and that unmistakable, wide grin exposing a row of prominent teeth.
"The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good natured, she thought: still it had very long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect."
Designed to withstand the elements year-round, the steel cat looks particularly enchanting when dusted with winter snow. It serves as a permanent, playful guardian of the gardens, perfectly capturing the spirit of the original text.
