Edward Waites’ Airborne Maquette celebrates the exhilarating freedom and athleticism of the horse, a subject deeply connected to the British sculptor’s Suffolk roots. Born in 1988 and raised near Newmarket, the historic centre of British horse racing, Waites developed an early fascination with equestrian anatomy and movement, which has remained central to his artistic practice. Horses have occupied an important place in British sculpture for centuries, from grand equestrian monuments to intimate studies of celebrated racehorses. Waites continues this tradition through a distinctly contemporary approach, favouring the spontaneity and individuality of the animal over formal representation. In Airborne Maquette, he captures a fleeting moment of exuberant movement, conveying the remarkable agility and spirited character of the horse.

Entirely self-taught, Waites works directly in clay, employing an instinctive modelling technique that preserves the immediacy of the sculptor’s hand. His works are subsequently cast in bronze using the traditional lost-wax process at a Suffolk foundry. Airborne Maquette demonstrates his ability to combine centuries-old craftsmanship with a lively, contemporary interpretation of the equestrian subject.