Deirdre Nicholls studied Sculpture at Winchester School of Art, where she was awarded the Northern Young Contemporaries Prize in 1975. She is a figurative sculptor whose bronze portrait heads are held in public and private collections, including a well-known bust of Nelson Mandela in Glasgow City Chambers. She was awarded the Paisley Art Institute Prize for Sculpture in 2025.
Her recent work focuses on UK farm animals, particularly rare and at-risk breeds. Using traditional modelling and casting techniques, combined with scale and a distinctive use of colour, she draws renewed attention to these animals and their significance.
As in her portraiture, Nicholls approaches each animal as an individual presence rather than a symbol—imbued with character, dignity and emotional weight.
Beltie is a one-third life-size study of a young Belted Galloway calf, turning slightly, as if observing her surroundings. Native to Scotland and once considered at risk following the foot-and-mouth outbreaks, the breed has since recovered through careful stewardship. The sculpture is based on a specific calf from a Scottish herd, studied with the kind permission of the owner.