A Garden of Connections: Hannah Peschar’s Legacy and the Power of the Network

For 20 years, Sculpture Network has built connections across Europe and beyond. One of our most enduring relationships is with the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden in Surrey, UK—a place where our shared history unfolds among trees, sculptures, and a shared passion for contemporary art in nature.

A Vision Ahead of Its Time

The garden’s founder, Hannah Peschar (1939 – 2021), was a passionate advocate for Sculpture Network from the very beginning. “She realised the importance of uniting this branch of the art world across Europe and beyond,” recalls Victoria Leedham, gallery manager and co-curator of the Garden. A proud Dutch national living in leafy southern England, Hannah sought to challenge “the somewhat conservative views of what art could be – and how it can be displayed outside.” Her vision—to place contemporary sculpture in harmony with nature—transformed a quiet corner of Surrey into one of the UK’s most celebrated sculpture gardens. Long before outdoor sculpture parks became fashionable, she imagined a dialogue between art and landscape that continues to evolve to this day.

A Journey Begins

“When I first started at the Sculpture Garden as a naive and somewhat sheltered 22-year-old,” Victoria remembers, “I had only experienced outdoor art as public sculpture – or just seen photos of pieces or installations displayed outside. Hannah’s vision to place art in harmony with its surroundings was a new and exciting concept. Little did I realise that it would become my entire world.”

One of Victoria’s first vivid memories is encountering “two huge ceramic vessels by German artist Norbert Prangenberg, that Hannah had placed in the woodland. I’d never seen anything quite like them – and Hannah was incredibly proud to display his work.”

Ceramics held a special place in Hannah’s heart, and she championed European sculptors who often worked in the medium. “She would find extraordinary makers the likes of whom had never been seen in the UK,” says Victoria. Through her friendship with Ien van Wierst, founder of the Palmyra Sculpture Centre, Hannah was introduced to Sculpture Network—and to a Europe-wide community of curators, artists, and enthusiasts who shared her curiosity and courage.

“I recall Hannah excitedly telling me she was going on a ‘Dialogue’ (whatever that meant!) in Spain,” Victoria laughs. “The following year we were able to display work by artists introduced by Ien van Wierst as a result of her trip and my understanding for what Sculpture Network could offer artists and curators grew and deepened.”

Dialogues Among the Trees

Over the years, the Garden has twice hosted Sculpture Network Dialogues, bringing members together to experience art in situ and exchange ideas. The first took place in 2015 and welcomed Johannes von Strumm for a talk, followed by a tour led by Hannah herself. “Nine years later – and to celebrate the Sculpture Garden’s 40th birthday – we hosted a special Autumn Dialogue,” Victoria says proudly. Dutch artists and Sculpture Network members Yke Prins and Riëlle Beekmans shared insights into their practice during a guided tour, which Victoria led as one of the current curators. “As an added bonus,” she recalls, “we were unexpectedly joined by exhibiting artist Michael Joseph, who kindly offered to talk about his work at the end of the tour.”

Moments like these embody what Sculpture Network has always stood for: the open exchange of ideas, the joy of discovery, and the sense of belonging that arises when people come together through sculpture.

“In this seemingly divided and unsettled world,” Victoria reflects, “Sculpture Network is somewhat of a unique entity. Bringing together sculpture lovers across the globe, it unites people of all races, religions, political beliefs… and allows us to put our differences aside and revel in what we love.”

Staying Connected in Difficult Times

That sense of unity became especially important during the pandemic, when physical gatherings were impossible. “The pandemic was a time when people felt isolated,” Victoria recalls, “but the online talks offered by Sculpture Network allowed some respite from the frightening world outside. They allowed us as viewers some much-needed escapism as we were taken to distant artist studios, exhibitions, and parks from the safety of our kitchens or living rooms.”

In 2022, Victoria herself was invited to give an online talk to Sculpture Network members. “To realise I was speaking to members as far afield as the Middle East was truly humbling,” she says. “It showed how sculpture—and the conversations it inspires—can cross every border.”

Continuing a Legacy

After Hannah retired, Victoria and Anthony Paul, who co-curates the exhibitions, took on the task of continuing the Garden’s legacy. “From a personal point of view, I have felt privileged to be a member of Sculpture Network—to take the reins from Hannah herself to champion the artists we show, and the ethos of the gallery,” she says.

A highlight in Victoria’s journey came when Sculpture Network organised a visit to the London studio of Sir Antony Gormley, one of Britain’s most renowned sculptors. “I have admired him since my early teens,” she admits. “Upon arrival I realised that I was sharing this incredible honour with several artists we exhibited at the Sculpture Garden – and that made the experience even more special.”

It’s this equality between emerging and established voices that defines the Network for her. “To share a platform with sculptors, curators, gallerists everyone sharing their passion, their knowledge and expertise, experiences… it’s one big sculpture family.”

As we look to the next twenty years, that spirit of connection endures. Whether under the trees of a Surrey woodland, in a Spanish courtyard, or through a screen linking studios across continents, Sculpture Network continues to bring people together celebrating the power of three-dimensional art to shape, question, and unite the world around us.