"From Little Acorns: Art Inspired by Sissinghurst" will be a celebration of work by artists who have used our very own Gazebo this year as a studio in which to create.

In the summer of 2022, artists were offered the chance to use the Gazebo at Sissinghurst, which was designed and erected in the formal garden in 1969 by Nigel and Benedict Nicolson as a memorial to their father Harold Nicolson. It was in this Gazebo where Nigel wrote his most famous work, ‘Portrait of a Marriage’ (1973), inspired by the beauty, love and bonds that are threaded through Sissinghurst.

The Exhibition

When the Gazebo was offered to the public for session use, dozens of artists responded to the opportunity to be inspired by the same views Nigel Nicolson witnessed from the Gazebo. These sessions produced the phenomenal results which form the centrepiece of the ‘From Little Acorns: Art Inspired by Sissinghurst’ exhibition.

The individual displays by sixteen shortlisted artists will include various mediums, abstract sculptures, poetry, photography and more. The exhibition space, along with its octagonal interpretation, mirror the shape of the full-size Gazebo for additional effect.

'From Little Acorns' marks the continuation of the artistic cycle at Sissinghurst, supporting a new generation of artists as they grow.