In an extraordinary act of generosity, artist Emily Young donated her sculpture ‘Quartzite Crystal Dryad I (Bronze)’ to Lyon & Turnbull’s spring MODERN MADE auction, with all proceeds from the sale designated to ‘Allkind’.
Young’s beautiful sculpture sold for an incredible £30,440 – including the buyer’s premium, which Lyon & Turnbull generously forwent – making this one of the largest one-off donations our charity has received to date. This gift was made in memory of Emily’s friend Rosanna Wilson Stephens, a much-admired gallerist, whose life tragically ended too soon and who is remembered fondly by all in the art world who knew her.
About Emily Young
Described by the Financial Times as “Britain’s greatest living stone sculptor”, Emily Young has devoted much of her artistic career to stone carving, known particularly for her carved heads. She works with a wide range of materials, from fossil-rich British limestone to Italian marble and rare stones such as onyx. Her work focuses on ‘giving voice to the earth’ and celebrates the natural character of each stone, revealing veins, fractures and geographical history as part of the sculpture’s expressive language.
Simon Thomson, Chief Executive of Allkind said:
“The piece that Emily sculpted is truly stunning and I can only imagine how many hours were poured into its creation. To then donate it for the benefit of others is truly remarkable and inspirational to us all, but particularly to our service users and our staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to help others.”
This generous gift will help fund our community wellbeing programme, which provides free creative, fitness and ecotherapy activities for adults aged 18+ who need support with their mental health. Since 2024, these programmes have supported more than 300 people, 54% of whom live with complex and enduring mental health issues.
And these community-based activities don’t receive any statutory funding, so they are entirely reliant on fundraising and donations. Shaped by service user feedback, they constantly evolve in response to the needs of our communities and provide a lifeline for many. They also enable people to self-refer, giving quicker access to support without the barriers of complex systems or long waiting lists.
We are deeply grateful to Emily Young, all the Directors at Lyon & Turnbull, and everyone who contributed to the coordination of the sale. This remarkable donation will make a genuine, meaningful difference to our work and to the people we support.
