About
Lee Simmons is a British artist and designer renowned for his large-scale public artworks, architectural collaborations, and sculptural interventions. His work explores the dynamic interplay between the built environment, materiality, and cultural context. With a multidisciplinary background spanning sculpture, design, and architecture, Simmons approaches public space as a platform for dialogue between tradition and innovation, form and function, people and place.
His practice investigates how material, pattern, and structure can reshape both the sensory and symbolic ways we engage with urban landscapes. Working in bronze, stone, steel, and digital fabrication, Simmons often references historical craft traditions and vernacular motifs, reinterpreting them through contemporary technologies and design logic. He positions each object not as a standalone artefact, but as a catalyst within broader architectural and civic ecosystems, sparking conversations between citizens, history, and the evolving identity of place.
Simmons’ permanent installations can be found across the UK, including major commissions at Marble Arch Place, Westminster City Hall, Dundee Waterfront Place, Regent’s Park, the London Palladium, and throughout the City of London. These works are frequently integrated into infrastructural or urban renewal projects, combining aesthetic value with practical urban function. Internationally, his practice continues to evolve engaging with both heritage contexts and cutting-edge infrastructure projects in Europe, Asia, and beyond. His work adapts to a wide range of environments, from historic civic centres to contemporary transit hubs, responding to each site’s distinct character and rhythms of daily life.
His work has been recognised by institutions such as the RIBA Journal, Blueprint Awards, and the Landscape Institute, and he has been shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Public Sculpture. Simmons has also lectured on art in public space at Sheffield Hallam University and the Royal College of Art, contributing to critical discussions on the role of public art in 21st-century society.
Born in 1987, Lee Simmons studied at Sheffield Hallam University and the Royal College of Art. He currently lives and works in Hertfordshire.
About
AWARDS & RECOGNTIONS
2025 – Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards – Gold Award for Creative Innovation
Project: Queen Elizabeth Silver Rose
2022 – AJ Architecture Awards *Landscape and Public Realm – Shortlisted
Project: Tay Whale Sculpture
2022 – Civic Trust Awards 2023 – Shortlisted
Project: Tay Whale Sculpture
2021 – PSSA Marsh Awards – Shortlisted for Excellence in Public Sculpture
Project: Tay Whale Sculpture
2017 – PSSA Marsh Awards – Shortlisted for Excellence in Public Sculpture
Project: The Great War Memorial
2011 – Armourers and Brasiers Award
Project: Royal College of Art Degree Show
2011 – Theo Fennell Award
Project: Royal College of Art Degree Show
2010 – Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards
- Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards
- Gold Award – Best Junior
- Gold Award – 3D Design (Silversmithing)
- Gillian Packard Award
Project: Sheffield Hallam University Degree Show
2009 – New Designers Award – Winner
Project: Sheffield Hallam University Degree Show
NOTABLE PUBLIC & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
2024 – Queen Elizabeth Silver Rose
Commissioner: The Past Overseers Society
Location: Westminster City Hall, London
Description: Created a commemorative silver piece honoring the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
2020 – MMXX
Commissioner: The Past Overseers Society
Location: Westminster City Hall, London
Description: Produced a silver artwork for the Society’s 300-year-old historic silver collection.
2012 – Silver Lectern
Commissioner: The Worshipful Company of Saddlers
Location: Saddlers’ Hall, City of London
Description: Designed and crafted a silver lectern to mark Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.
2011 – Confession at the Bench
Commissioner: Royal College of Art
Location: Royal College of Art, South Kensington, London
Description: Sculpted a corten steel bench.
2010 – 12 Fins
Commissioner: Hertfordshire Primary School
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Description: Created a water sculpture for a primary school, funded through local authority
grants.
2009 – The Heart of Sheffield
Commissioner: The Lord Mayor of Sheffield
Location: Sheffield City Hall
Description: Designed a ceremonial silver object celebrating the city’s rich history.
2009 – Reflection Cup
Commissioner: Sheffield Hallam University
Location: Sheffield Hallam University
Description: Crafted a bespoke silver gift for the retiring Dean.
2008 – Three Channels
Commissioner: Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
Location: Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
Description: Created a permanent silverwork, commissioned through a NADFAS bursary.
ARTIST PHILOSOPHY
“The theory of a synthesis that
brings together art, architecture,
and engineering.”
Am I an artist? A designer? A craftsman?
To answer would be to diminish the mystery.
I do not reside in titles—I reside in the spaces between them.
I am a maker of meanings, a navigator of nuance,
a shape-shifter between disciplines,
where the hand meets the machine,
where thought meets form.
I believe in the beauty of contradiction:
the ancient hand-tool, the digital model,
the weld and the algorithm.
Neither tradition nor technology holds dominion here—
they dance together in service of the idea.
The method is not the message;
it is the quiet breath beneath it.
Lee Simmons explores the intersections of art, architecture, and engineering, working within the blurred boundaries that connect them.
My practice is founded upon the belief that traditional skills and modern technologies exist not in opposition, but in dialogue. One does not dominate the other. Both serve the work. Both serve the idea. The hand and the machine, the analogue and the digital, the old and the new all are equal collaborators in manifesting a creative vision. These tools, however prominent in process, should remain unobtrusive in perception. The focus is the idea, the context, and the experience not the method.
My practice is founded upon the belief that traditional skills and modern technologies exist not in opposition, but in dialogue. One does not dominate the other. Both serve the work. Both serve the idea. The hand and the machine, the analogue and the digital, the old and the new all are equal collaborators in manifesting a creative vision. These tools, however prominent in process, should remain unobtrusive in perception. The focus is the idea, the context, and the experience not the method.
Each project begins with context: a place, a site, a cultural or environmental condition. I believe that objects, structures, and installations must resonate with the environments they inhabit. By observing, decoding, and embracing the contrasts and complexities of these settings, I uncover a wealth of creative opportunity. This is where visual fulfilment and tangible satisfaction are born not in isolation, but in relationship.
Collaboration is a cornerstone of my practice. From the earliest stages of a project, I engage with structural engineers, fabricators, and specialist subcontractors. Their insights are not afterthoughts; they are formative. Through constant dialogue, my ideas are tested, challenged, and refined. This ongoing feedback loop ensures that every concept is grounded in real-world constraints buildability, structural integrity, cost-efficiency—without sacrificing creative ambition.
Working closely with my structural engineer, we explore what is possible. We push the boundaries of material, form, and construction, searching for solutions that are not only feasible but also unexpected. These technical conversations become a source of inspiration, opening doors to new structural logics and aesthetic languages. I do not view engineering as a constraint—it is a framework in which creativity can thrive.
My foundation in metalwork and silversmithing, gained through my early training at Sheffield Hallam University, instilled in me a deep respect for material, process, and discipline. At the Royal College of Art, I expanded this base into a multidisciplinary approach that combines design thinking with hands-on making. Every piece I create reflects a tension between concept and execution, vision and realization.
Ultimately, my work is about convergence—of ideas, people, materials, and methods. It is about maintaining integrity of vision while embracing the practicalities that bring that vision to life. I believe that when artistic intent and technical excellence intersect, something powerful is made manifest. Something that stands not just as an object, but as a testament to the harmony between thought, craft, and structure.
I am not one thing—I am many. And it is in that multiplicity that I find my voice.
APPROACH TO PROJECTS
Artist Lee Simmons adopts a meticulous and collaborative approach to his projects, placing
strong emphasis on the relationship between materials, process, and execution. Central to
his methodology is an ongoing feedback loop involving constant and open communication
with his structural engineer and art fabricator. This dynamic exchange plays a crucial role
in shaping each project, ensuring the creative vision remains grounded in practical realities
such as buildability, structural integrity, and cost-efficiency.
From the early stages of a project, Simmons actively engages with specialist subcontractors,
recognizing the value of their technical expertise. Their early input allows him to test and
refine ideas against practical constraints of budget and feasibility. This integrated process
not only helps resolve potential technical challenges but also informs design development,
resulting in more robust and executable concepts.
The collaboration with his structural engineer is particularly vital, as it often leads to the
exploration of new materials, construction techniques, and structural innovations. This
relationship fosters an environment for his creativity to flourish within the framework
of engineering logic. Simmons will frequently challenge to push boundaries of what is
structurally possible.
This synergy between artistic vision and technical precision is at the core of Simmons’
practice. Rather than viewing technical elements as limitations, he sees them as
opportunities for creative exploration. By maintaining strong, trust-based relationships with
his collaborators, Simmons ensures a seamless transition from concept to realization. The
result is a body of work that is not only visually compelling but also rigorously constructed
and expertly installed, reflecting deep artistic intent and the craftsmanship required to bring
it to life.
NOTABLE COMMISSIONS
2024 – Ventus, 40 Leadenhall Street, City of London
Commissioner: Vanquish Properties, Nuveen & M&G Real Estate
2024 – Tay Haze, Broughty Ferry, Dundee
Commissioner: Dundee City Council
2021 – Tay Whale, Waterfront Place, Dundee
Commissioner: Dundee City Council
2020 – Circadian, Marble Arch Place, London
Commissioner: Almacantar Ltd
2018 – Arcus, 55 Wells Street, London
Commissioner: Great Portland Estates PLC
2018 – Novum Incrementum, The Wellesley Hotel, London
Commissioner: The Wellesley Hotel
2018 – Quadliner, 66 Wigmore Street, London –
Commissioner: The Howard de Walden Estate
2018 – Wall of Fame, London Palladium Theatre –
Commissioner: Andrew & Madeleine Lloyd-Webber (LWTheatres)
2017- Dentrite, 40 Beak Street, London (Damien Hirst Studio)
Commissioner: Landcap Ltd
2016 – The Great War Memorial, Westminster City Hall
Commissioner: Westminster City Council
2014 – Grandiso, 77 Wimpole Street, London
Commissioner: The Howard de Walden Estate
2012 – St Leger Horse Race, Centre Trophy
Commissioner: Ladbrokes