Shine A Light

Three Bristol artists will come together to celebrate a Bristolian icon with the creation of a new piece of light, mirror and street art for Bristol Light Festival 2023, which will remain as a permanent artwork after the event.

The piece will be inspired by female inventor and engineer in Victorian Britain, Sarah Guppy, a heroine of Bristol’s past whose influence is often overlooked in history. Holding patents on a chain suspension bridge, Guppy was friends with Brunel Snr and taught young Isambard Brunel, whilst her son also worked with Brunel on the SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge. It is impossible to verify but it is likely that she influenced the final bridge design!

Each artist will create part of the installation in line with their style and expertise, with Bristol-based sculptor Duncan McKellar, known internationally for his large-scale installations, bringing mirror art to the new installation. Legendary Street Artist Stewy will bring his instantly identifiable style to the artwork, inspired by a pencil drawing of Sarah Guppy thought to have been drawn by Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself. Emily Joy Richards, Bristol-based painter and founder of local female art group ‘Peace of Art’, will artistic typography to describe and highlight Guppy’s extraordinary life.