About Graeme
Graeme served a traditional four year apprenticeship as a Blacksmith and came to his art via light and heavy industry as well as teaching. In 1990 he established his own business ‘Graeme Hopper’ in his design studio/forge near Durham City. Graeme directs his time and talents towards designing and creating customised pieces; he specialises in large and small, both functional and sculptural ironwork for interior and exterior locations.Graeme’s style is fresh and unique and this is coupled with his vast experience and knowledge of site work and its inherent problems.
He is renowned for his unusual and extraordinary pieces of sculpture that combine easily into the landscape as well as for his crisp architectural items. He likes to create objects that get a reaction! His flair and talent have led him to appearances on both the BBC Small Town Gardens and Do it Yourself programmes.
He approaches a commission with no pre-conceived notions. For him this is one of the most exciting stages of the process – listening closely to each client’s needs and concerns, suggesting and advising – where an idea is conceived and imagination is about to be turned reality.
Graeme is equally at ease either discussing a small garden project with a group of children with learning difficulties or disabilities, or making a presentation on the design of a large sculpture to a Board of Directors of a multi-national organisation.
Graeme’s goal is to satisfy clients by coming up with a solution that gives them the feeling ‘I never would have thought of that in a million years, but I like it’. He is constantly broadening his subject matter through local culture and design influences and each commission Graeme completes adds yet a further layer to his work and skill as a sculptor.
