Her figures can be found dancing, hugging children and reclining in galleries, homes and gardens around the world.

Her artist husband, Tobias Arnup, enjoys working with colour and playing with the perception of what makes a still life painting.

They regularly hold open studio weekends at their Norwich home to show their latest work.

But this year they have decided to hold their first-ever joint exhibition. Vanessa & Tobias Together will be at the Fairhurst Gallery in Norwich from June 7-14.

Vanessa Pooley. Photo: Ella Wilkinson 'We've been showing work together in the house in this casual open studio format and enjoying it and we just thought we ought to go a bit more public with it,' says Vanessa.

'It's quite nice to do it in a different place,' says Tobias. 'I think the work will be a bit more "chosen" than an open studio and we've had lots of conversations about what we're presenting and why. It's made me think quite a lot about what I want to show at the moment and how it relates to Vanessa's work, which I know it does in some ways,' he says.

'I suppose we're acknowledging the fact that we have influenced each other and we take a lot of note of what each other says about our work.'

Vanessa’s earliest sculptures were stylised female heads, formed from beach clay she found on the Suffolk coast and took home to work with.

Bronze Happy Baby by Vanessa Pooley. Photo: Andi Sapey She started taking sculpture more seriously at sixth form, under the tutelage of Hugh........

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