Mo Farquharson

Born and raised in Aberdeenshire, Mo Farquharson trained as a sculptor in Edinburgh, the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford and Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, USA, before becoming a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors in 1985.

She developed an international reputation and her work is held in both private and public collections in the UK and around the world. While she was known for her figurative bronze sculptures of people, animals and birds Mo also received commissions for larger pieces. Notably in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, she created a powerful bronze statue, The Miners, in 1995, in memory of the 73 colliers who died in the Udston Colliery explosion of 1887.

She was also commissioned to make a four-foot figure of John Lennon by HMV which was auctioned for charity at the Silver Clef awards in 1997. After the unveiling, she sat next to Yoko Ono at dinner and Yoko held Mo’s hand throughout the meal.

The most well known work to visitors to Tolquhon is Gladys the bronze goat. Gladys graced the entrance to the gallery for almost thirty years and it was a sad day when she went off to a new home. 

Mo had a strong sense of fun and adventure and her humour is evident in much of her work such as the Cycling Acrobats where three acrobats on a bicycle balance on each other’s shoulders. She beautifully observes people and their interactions.

There is a liveliness and raw energy in all Mo Farquharson’s works but there is a particular warmth in her expressive sculptures and drawings of birds and animals. Her love of animals and understanding of their form is apparent in every piece.

Mo Farquharson died in 2018. 

Read a warm tribute to Mo among our blogs.