Guy Portelli

Born in South Africa in 1957, Guy Portelli moved to England with his parents in 1969, where they had earlier come to study as art students. Initially living with his grandfather in Southend, the family eventually settled in Tonbridge in the early 1970s, where he continues to reside.

Guy attended Hugh Christie School in Tonbridge and left at 16 to study interior design at Medway College of Art, before shifting his focus to sculpture in his second year. While at college, he started a business designing theatre sets, employing around 20 people.

After graduation, he designed hotel interiors and pursued a part-time sculpture course at Chelsea Art College. By the late 1970s, he was working at the BBC’s special effects department, contributing to sets for “Doctor Who” and “Blake’s 7.”

Guy began sculpting at age 17, and his work is featured in public and corporate collections in the UK and USA. Notably, Ringo Starr owns several of his pieces.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and Vice-President of the Royal Society of British Artists. Among his accolades are the Elisabeth Frink School Award (2002) and the Scott Goodman Harris Award (2003).