Stephen Hitchin

Stephen Hitchin has worked in the north of England throughout his career. He studied Fine Art at Liverpool Art College, completing his master’s degree in Sculpture at Manchester Art College in 1977.

Steve has devoted a great deal of time to encouraging young sculptors to follow in his footsteps. He has taught in the UK and USA and has been a visiting lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brigham Young University, Utah, and Liverpool Art College.

For four decades, Steve has carved in stone and marble from his studio on the banks of the Mersey in Liverpool. His career has been marked by numerous public commissions from major institutions, including the University of Liverpool, Unilever’s Merseyside Headquarters and the Victoria Gallery.

More recently, Steve has focused on carving large marble sculptures, several of which are housed in leading private collections across Europe. His recent works typically distil the dynamism, fluidity and tides of the River Mersey and the coast of northern England.

Art Pylkkänen has formally represented Steve Hitchin since 2024. Together, we have begun a series of long-term sculpture projects, the first of which will be launching in the spring of 2025.

The first casts in a series of spectacular monumental bronzes were produced in late 2024. It is a privilege to be working with Pangolin Editions, broadly recognised as Europe’s leading art foundry, and their exceptional team based in Stroud.

The first of the bronzes, Spirit of the Seas, will be revealed to the public in April of this year. First conceived in carrara marble in 2023, this large-scale bronze will measure 2.4 metres in height, promising to make a significant mark on any landscape. Two examples of the bronze have already been cast; further examples can be commissioned directly from our Project Manager Chester Pylkkänen.

Future monumental bronzes from the series are underway. Steve is currently working with Pangolin on Cyclone, also first conceived in marble, which will be revealed in bronze this year.

Viewing of the sculptures will be possible on request from May 2025 onwards. The bronzes can be ordered on commission, and will take in the region of 4 months to cast, patinate and deliver.

For further information and enquiries, please contact Chester Pylkkänen.

Jussi Pylkkänen, Co-Founder of Art Pylkkänen:

There were very few 20th Century sculptors who managed to create memorable monumental bronzes. The mark that an exceptional bronze makes on a fine landscape, urban or rural, can be profound and unforgettable. The combination of the right sculpture and the right setting is a fascinating challenge for any artist. Working with Hitchin, we have found a sculptor obsessed with nature and the way in which people perceive and interpret its beauty. His marbles have a lyrical quality which translates extraordinarily to bronze. Hitchin should be considered one of the great outdoor sculptors of his generation; our project’s goal is to bring his sculpture to a broader critical audience.

Spirit of the Seas, carrara marble, carved in 2023 Private Collection, UK