# Guy Portelli
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{{Short description|English sculptor (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2016}}
[[File:English Lavender (Portelli sculpture).jpg|thumb|''English Lavender'' in the [London Borough of Sutton](/source/London_Borough_of_Sutton)|318x318px]]
'''Guy Portelli''' (born 13 June 1957) is a contemporary English sculptor and author.[{{Cite web |title=Guy Portelli {{!}} Tutor at West Dean College |url=https://www.westdean.ac.uk/tutors/guy-portelli |access-date=2026-01-18 |website=West Dean |language=en}}]
==Life==
He was born in [South Africa](/source/South_Africa) in 1957, but moved permanently to [England](/source/England) with his parents in 1969, who had each come earlier to Britain to study as art students. He lived largely with his grandfather in [Southend, London](/source/Southend%2C_London), during the initial move. The family moved to [Tonbridge](/source/Tonbridge) in the early 1970s, where he still lives.
He studied at the [Hugh Christie School](/source/Hugh_Christie_Technology_College) in Tonbridge. He left school at 16 to study at [Medway College of Art](/source/MidKent_College). Originally studying [interior design](/source/interior_design), this changed to a focus on sculpture in his second year. Whilst at college he started his own business, designing theatre sets, employing around twenty people.
On graduation, he found work designing hotel interiors but continued a part-time course in sculpture at [Chelsea Art College](/source/Chelsea_Art_College) (where his parents had studied).
In the late 1970s, he found employment at the BBC's special-effects department, working on sets for ''[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)'' and ''[Blake's 7](/source/Blake's_7)''.
His father, of Maltese ancestry, had success as a musician and film-maker, and died in 1974, when Guy was only 17. Portelli’s own son Anthony died aged only 13.
==Sculpture==
Portelli began sculpting at age 17.
His work is found in public and corporate collections in Britain and the United States. Musician [Ringo Starr](/source/Ringo_Starr) possesses several of his pieces. The ''[Peace and Love](/source/Peace_and_Love_(sculpture))'' sculpture has been on show in [Beverly Hills](/source/Beverly_Hills).[[http://www.kent-life.co.uk/people/celebrity-interviews/the_dragon_king_sculptor_guy_portelli_1_1642771 "The Dragon King - Sculptor Guy Portelli"], ''Kent Life'', 3 March 2011.]
Portelli was previously a fellow of the [Royal Society of British Sculptors](/source/Royal_Society_of_British_Sculptors) and was vice-president of the [Royal Society of British Artists](/source/Royal_Society_of_British_Artists).
In 2002, he won the [Elisabeth Frink](/source/Elisabeth_Frink) School Award, and the [Scott Goodman Harris](/source/Scott_Goodman_Harris) Award in 2003.[{{cite web|url=http://www.portelli-sculptor.co.uk/index.php?inc=about|website=portelli-sculptor.co.uk|title=Guy Portelli website|accessdate=2018-03-04|archive-date=16 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916190226/http://www.portelli-sculptor.co.uk/index.php?inc=about|url-status=dead}}]
==''Dragons Den''==
In 2008, Portelli gained £80,000 from three investors of the television programme ''[Dragons' Den](/source/Dragons'_Den)'', convincing them that modern art is a viable and realistic investment. This centred upon his "Pop Icons" collection, 18 pieces exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London. This instantly raised his public profile.
==Notable works==
* [Masai](/source/Maasai_people) Warrior, [Commonwealth Institute](/source/Commonwealth_Institute) (1983)
* 13 Greek Goddesses, London Pavilion, [Piccadilly Circus](/source/Piccadilly_Circus) (1987)[{{cite newspaper The Times|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=IF503147556&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|title=French maiden descends on Piccadilly|department=News|date=17 December 1987|page=3|issue=62954|accessdate=2018-03-04}}][{{cite newspaper The Times|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=IF503177161&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|title=New act for the London Pavilion|author=Christopher Warman|department=Feature Articles (aka Opinion)|date=27 May 1988|page=34|issue=63092|accessdate=2018-03-04|column=}}]
* Opera Terrace fountain, [Covent Garden](/source/Covent_Garden), [London](/source/London) (1987)
* Sculptures for the Townswomen’s Guild, [Chelsea Flower Show](/source/Chelsea_Flower_Show) (1990)
* 5m-high sculpture of Sir [Rowland Hill](/source/Rowland_Hill), [Shrewsbury](/source/Shrewsbury) (1991)[{{cite newspaper The Times|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=IF503305765&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|title=Picture Gallery|date=21 April 1992|page=5|issue=64312|accessdate=2018-03-04}}]
* Eagle Gates, [Guernsey](/source/Guernsey) (1997)
* Multiple sculptures for the [Trafford Centre](/source/Trafford_Centre), [Manchester](/source/Manchester) (1998)
* 6m ''English Lavender'', Sainsbury’s, [London Borough of Sutton](/source/London_Borough_of_Sutton) (1999)
* [Palio](/source/Palio) Horses, Sienna Building, [Hatton Garden](/source/Hatton_Garden) (1999)
* Sculpture of [Group Captain Townsend](/source/Peter_Townsend_(RAF_officer)), West Malling Airfield (2002)
* [Mandela](/source/Nelson_Mandela) (mosaic, 2011)
* Spirit of 71, [Swansea Museum](/source/Swansea_Museum) (2011)
* ''The Torch'', [Tonbridge](/source/Tonbridge) (2014)
* ''Celebrating the Battle of Hastings 950th Anniversary'' (sculpture, Battle High Street, 2016)
* ''Isle of Wight Festival - 50th Anniversary'' (mosaic and hand prints, Isle of Wight, 2020)[{{Cite web|title=Isle of Wight Festival showcased in London art show with new handprint mosaic|url=https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/18609073.isle-wight-festival-handprint-mosaic-leads-london-art-show/|website=Isle of Wight County Press|date=2020-07-27|access-date=2026-02-01|language=en}}]
===Pop Icons project (circa 2008)===
As of May 2015, the pop icons series consisted of twenty three sculptures.[{{Cite web|title=Modernist Society: Guy Portelli’s Haywards Heath sculpture a ‘labour of love’|url=https://modernistsociety.blogspot.com/2015/05/guy-portellis-haywards-heath-sculpture.html|website=Modernist Society|date=2015-05-04|access-date=2026-02-01}}]
* [Amy Winehouse](/source/Amy_Winehouse)[{{Cite web|title=Interview {{!}} Sculptor Guy Portelli on 'Wight Spirit, 1968-70' and the Isle of Wight Music Festival|url=https://thelondonmagazine.org/interview-sculptor-guy-portelli-on-wight-spirit-1968-70-and-the-isle-of-wight-music-festival/|website=The London Magazine|date=2020-09-01|access-date=2026-02-01|language=en-GB|first=The London|last=Magazine}}]
* [Bono](/source/Bono)
* [David Bowie](/source/David_Bowie)
* [Elton John](/source/Elton_John) - ''Rocket Man'' (edition of five, 2009)
*[Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra)[{{Cite web|title=Sculpting the stars|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2009/07/02/guy_portelli_feature.shtml|website=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=2026-02-01|language=en-gb|last=BBC}}]
* [John Lee Hooker](/source/John_Lee_Hooker)
* [Led Zeppelin](/source/Led_Zeppelin) - ''Meridian''
* [Grace Jones](/source/Grace_Jones)[{{Cite web|title=Guy Portelli PopIcons|url=http://portelli-popicon.co.uk/|website=portelli-popicon.co.uk|access-date=2026-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202004909/http://portelli-popicon.co.uk/|archive-date=2021-12-02}}]
* [Tupac](/source/Tupac_Shakur)
* [The Who](/source/The_Who)[{{cite book|author=Guy Portelli|title=Modern British Sculpture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RbUxPwAACAAJ|year=2005|publisher=Schiffer Pub.|isbn=978-0-7643-2111-5}}][{{cite newspaper The Times|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=IF502761987&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|title=No surprise that a summer show of Art Nouveau proves Brussels is a city with style|author=John Russell Taylor|department=Reviews|date=8 June 2005|accessdate=2018-03-04}}]
==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|England|South Africa|Visual arts}}
* [List of British artists](/source/List_of_British_artists)
* [List of sculptors](/source/List_of_sculptors)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.portelli-sculptor.co.uk/ Portelli's website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218234228/http://www.portelli-sculptor.co.uk/ |date=18 December 2021 }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portelli, Guy}}
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:1957 births
Category:Living people
Category:20th-century English male artists
Category:20th-century English sculptors
Category:20th-century South African male artists
Category:20th-century South African sculptors
Category:21st-century English male artists
Category:21st-century English sculptors
Category:21st-century South African male artists
Category:21st-century South African sculptors
Category:Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts
Category:Artists from Kent
Category:BBC people
Category:English male sculptors
Category:Fellows of the Royal British Society of Sculptors
Category:People from Tonbridge
Category:Sculptors from London
Category:South African emigrants to the United Kingdom
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Guy Portelli](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Portelli) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Portelli?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.