British artist Barnaby Barford produces work in a wide variety of materials, most consistently returning to ceramics. From monumental sculptures composed of thousands of individual ceramic pieces, to large-scale frenzied drawings, his pieces are united by a labour-intensive practice which utilizes industrial production processes. Barford achieved major critical success in 2015 with the Tower of Babel, a six-metre tower of 3000 Bone China miniature London shops, exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Each shop was a unique, signed artwork and each was offered for sale. Prices of the shops rose in relation to their position on the tower, prompting people to confront where they fitted into London’s hierarchy of consumption. Early porcelain figurines by the artist offered a witty cultural critique, reflecting on the folly of man with a satire akin to Chaucer and Hogarth. More recent installations and drawings are characterised by a biting social commentary on our desire for more. Barford is celebrated for subverting familiar iconography in his work, placing ancient cautionary tales within a contemporary context. His latest body of work looks at the world through the lens of the Apple. This most humble of fruits has been present throughout the history of humankind - from Adam & Eve to Snow White, to Cézanne, Magritte, and Newton - it is the perfect vehicle for cultural observation. Graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2002 with an MA in Ceramics and Glass, Barford has been represented by David Gill Gallery since 2005. He has exhibited internationally, with major solo shows across Europe and the USA, and a survey show at MOCA, Virginia, in 2013. His work has been acquired by public and private collections from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, to the National Libraries of France and the Netherlands, and MoFA in Houston, Texas. Based in London, Barford has been an Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins since 2004. ‘Barnaby Barford is brilliantly puckish and something of an agent provocateur. By seduction and guile, his work exposes us to our inner frailties, prejudices and desires, holding up a mirror to us both metaphorically, as well – on occasion – as physically. Few are so incisive and insightful.’ Alun Graves, Senior Curator of Ceramics and Glass Collection at the V&A.