"British-born artist James Doran-Webb is best known for his wildlife sculptures built from a very specific material: driftwood. Using the reclaimed and idiosyncratic natural material, each enchanting creation bears the weather and texture of driftwood. Equal parts playful and profound, Doran-Webb is set to debut his first solo exhibition with Gladwell and Patterson at the Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week 2026. As one of the oldest galleries in the United Kingdom, with locations in London and Stamford, the gallery's presentation of Doran-Webb's work at the art fair will be complemented by a selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, resulting in an immersive world where the artist's wooden creatures push the boundaries between reality and fiction."
"Doran-Webb got his start working as an antiques dealer as well as a cabinet maker, restoring all manner of furniture from carved hardwood to veneered Queen Anne pieces. At the heart of these restorations is meticulous problem solving, finding solutions that maintain fidelity to the piece but also ensure longevity, and this mode of construction and repair can be traced to his work with driftwood. In 1990, Doran-Webb established a home décor and art company wherein he began his first experiments crafting animals from various materials, and in the early aughts, he constructed his first horse composed entirely out of driftwood. Driven by his personal affinity for the outdoors and the natural world, the artist continued to collect driftwood and his own sculptural animal kingdom proliferated."
James Doran-Webb sculpts wildlife forms from reclaimed driftwood, preserving the material's weathered texture. His work balances playful and profound qualities and will appear in a solo exhibition with Gladwell and Patterson at Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week 2026. The gallery pairs his wooden creatures with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings to create an immersive presentation. A background as an antiques dealer and cabinet maker taught meticulous problem solving and restoration techniques that inform his driftwood practice. He began experimenting with animal forms in 1990 and built his first wholly driftwood horse in the early 2000s. The process demands time, patience, and searching for fitting pieces.
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