Meet our Ambassadors – Robin Wright, Fantasy Wire

Earlier this month, we were excited to be invited along to the Trentham Estate as they celebrate 10 years of the Trentham Fairies in 2023.

We meet the Staffordshire Moorlands based artist who is responsible for creating these stunning wire sculptures, having taken his inspiration from his local surroundings – Robin Wright founder of Fantasy Wire.

How did Fantasy Wire start out?

I’ve always been creative and first mastered pencil drawing at school which I continue to enjoy, but switched to iPad as a medium in recent years. Art and engineering have meant that throughout my life I have created all manner of things in all sorts of materials.

My interest in 3D / sculpture developed when our children were very small and I used to build elaborate sand sculptures on beach holidays. In 2009 we moved to the middle of a nature reserve in Staffordshire where fairies ought to exist and things changed.

In 2010 I was mending a fence. I was screwing up some old wire to throw away when I had the thought that wire is quite strong but malleable and could possibly be used to sculpt with. Because I live in the middle of a wood, a fairy for the bottom of the garden seemed like a good subject to start with.

By 2012 I was selling a few locally and for fun, we created a fairy trail in the woods for the village festival. We handed out trail maps so families could try and find them all. The fairy trail got noticed by Trentham Gardens and within a few days, we were recreating the trail in their gardens.

Tell us more about your art

Making the actual wire fairy is only the start. Once the sculpture is finished, I have to set the scene for her to enter the world. I have to install / position her, wait for the right weather conditions and lighting. I get up and the crack of dawn to take photographs. 2D images don’t always do a 3D work any favours, so I came up with the idea of videos. I chose appropriate music to match her personality, then shoot a video to suit the atmosphere I’m trying to create. I edit it to make it dramatic, suspenseful, peaceful or whimsical. Once I have all of these elements, I then work out how to introduce her to the world. I sometimes tease the audience which is a necessary step to manage and build expectations. All of this has to be conducted a bit like a magic trick where there’s the big reveal at the end. People are waiting to see the new fairy.

Over time and greatly helped by where I live in the county, I’ve created a sort of fantasy world. Each character is different, yet they all seem to fit in this world and complement each other. Long term fans know each fairy by name and they step into this world with me every time I post on social media, what’s become known as a ”Fairy Fix”.

All of the above is my art. Wire sculpture is only a part of it. It’s the design, it’s photography, it’s videos, the world they occupy and most importantly, working out how to touch your imagination as it all requires you, the audience. My art is not wire sculpture, it’s the fusion of all these things.

Tell us more about your work with Trentham

I still work with the Trentham Estate and the Trentham Fairy Trail now consists of a mixture of those very early fence wire fairies which are permanent residents, alongside an exhibition of some of my latest works.

Robin has sold sculptures internationally, with the brand growing from strength to strength.

In addition to Fairies, Fantasy Wire also create bespoke Dandelion Sculptures and have an online shop selling craft kits for budding artists to try to make their own fairy wire sculptures.

Find out more information about Robin’s work and Fantasy Wire.