Kingfisher

Nick Bibby has long been celebrated for his ability to freeze a living creature at the precise moment it feels most itself, and Kingfisher is no exception. The bird carries an almost supernatural stillness, as though caught between one dive and the next, its form rendered with the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from years of close observation. The patina is particularly striking here. Bibby has worked the bronze into deep oceanic blues and mossy greens that echo the bird's own extraordinary colouring, while warmer brown tones ground the piece and give it weight. It is the sort of sculpture that rewards returning to — different in morning light than in lamplight, always revealing something new. With only nine ever made, owning one means joining a very small group of collectors. At this stage in the edition, the opportunity is not one that tends to linger.

Medium: Green, blue and brown patinated bronze

Framed: