A NEW exhibition of sculpture and collage work has opened in West Bay.

Following a successful solo show with the Portland Gallery in London last year, Sladers Yard has welcomed Marzia Colonna back to the venue for a major show of her recent work.

Marzia, who lives and works in west Dorset draws inspiration for her collages from the Jurassic Coast and the landscape in her native Italy, along with the flowers in her garden and the interior of her studio.

Her sculpture evokes human situations and emotions. In this latest exhibition, the work focuses on her 'Lovers' series.

Whether she is working in collage or in sculpture, Marzia is able to provoke a response.

She said: "I try to become a part of my subjects, animate and inanimate, and get to the essence of what they are."

Marzia Colonna’s sculptures have been commissioned for public spaces including St Aldhelm at Sherborne Abbey, The Mermaid at the National Sailing Club in Portland, the Christ at Salisbury Cathedral and the Kite Flyer in Winchester. Collected widely in the UK and abroad, Colonna’s unique voice speaks through her sculpture and her collages.

Marzia was born in Pisa in 1951. She entered art school aged 12 and continued to study at the Academia di Belle Arti in Florence. In 1970 she moved with her husband Robert Montagu to England. Her first solo exhibition in London was in 1979 and her work has been displayed regularly ever since. Her work is in many collections in Europe, the United States and Australasia. Since 1985 she has lived and worked in west Dorset. A major sculpture was purchased in 2001 by the Jerwood Foundation and in 2002 by the Newby Hall sculpture collection.

The exhibition will be open until Sunday, November 1.