What is your education and/or training?

Tessa has 30 years’ experience as a conservator, with over 25 years specialising in the conservation and restoration of modern and contemporary sculpture. She worked at TATE between 1994-2017 in various capacities from intern, employee and freelancer, whilst simultaneously establishing her own conservation and consulting business. At TATE Tessa was involved in the conservation and restoration of some of the most important sculptures of the 20th century, including Epstein’s Jacob and the Angel, Rodin’s The Kiss, Moore`s Recumbent Figure and the Hepworth sculptures in the St Ives sculpture garden.

Tessa enjoys working with diverse materials and mixed media, such as the Hepworth bronzes with string, concrete works by Donald Judd and Peter Lazlo Peri and plastics (from foam to silicone) including the works of Naum Gabo. She has made a study of the conservation and restoration of pristine surfaces and liaises with other key specialists to achieve specific bespoke finishes. She has an international reputation and has lectured and contributed to influential publications including the 2019 Getty publication “Concrete - Case Studies in Conservation Practice (Conserving Modern Heritage), “Barbara Hepworth, The Plasters: The Gift to Wakefield” and the TATE publication “Material Matters” The Conservation of Modern Sculpture.”

Tessa has collaborated with other highly skilled conservators and professionals and is now able to bring together a bespoke team for each individual work or project in order to provide museum quality conservation services to private collectors, auction houses, insurers, commercial galleries and public institutions worldwide.