Cheltenham-raised sculptor named Wildlife Artist of the Year 2026 finalist
Summary
A sculptor raised on Leckhampton Hill and mentored at Cheltenham Ladies’ College has been named a finalist in the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year 2026, one of the most respected international wildlife art competitions.
Details
Jane Shaw’s bronze Warthogs (Family Chaos) has been selected for exhibition at Mall Galleries, London, from September 8-12, chosen from 1,496 entries submitted by artists in 60 countries. It is the fifth work by Shaw to be selected for a national exhibition this year.
In February, two of her bronzes – Community Spirit (Group of Starlings) and Kissing Mice – were chosen for the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, through anonymous judging of almost 4,000 submissions.
At the same time, two of her hare sculptures were accepted by Visual Arts Scotland for its Future Folklore exhibition in Ayrshire, a run described in the press as a rare “national quadruple”. Warthogs (Family Chaos) was born from an intense period of life-study in the South African bush.
The sculpture moves beyond the warthog’s familiar association with flight, capturing instead the comical, joyous complexity of their social life. Using loose, highly expressive gestural strokes to convey raw vitality, Shaw balances form and emotion in a single, charged composition.
The narrative is domestic and precise: a commanding father leading the stride, a watchful mother guarding the rear, and vulnerable, fearless piglets embodying the raw spirit of the African wild. Shaw, who now lives and works just outside Blandford Forum, learned to look at animals on Leckhampton Hill – watching kestrels hunt and hares box in spring meadows before she had the language to describe what she was doing.
She was mentored by sculptor Denis Galloway at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, who taught her that essence matters more than anatomical rendering, before reading Art History at Manchester University. Her work continues to be exhibited at galleries across the Cotswolds, including Cotswold Contemporary in Cirencester and Burford, and Muse Sculpture Company in Tetbury.
The year’s recognition follows a difficult period in which Shaw lost her entire digital presence to a cyber-attack in early 2025. Rather than rebuild around online noise, she returned more deeply to the studio – to drawing, wax, clay, plaster and bronze. Jane Shaw said: “This year has been extraordinary.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester