Denis Mitchell was most renowned for his abstract works in bronze, wood and stone. Born in 1912 in Middlesex, Greater London, Mitchell moved to Cornwall in 1930 where during the Second World War he worked underground at the Geevor tin mine, a time which undoubtedly aided the development of his carving and hewing skills.
In the immediate post-war years Mitchell joined the St. Ives school of artists and quickly became a prominent member. From the late 1940’s St. Ives served as the centre for pioneering modern and abstract developments for the British art scene. Fronted by Barbara Hepworth and her then husband Ben Nicholson, this young group of artists were drawn to the landscape’s rugged coastal shapes and colours, which served as inspiration for much of their work. Mitchell became chief assistant to Hepworth in 1949, working with her for ten years, while separately becoming a founder member of the Penwith Society of Arts. He maintained a close relationship with both Hepworth and Nicholson, who encouraged him to create works in bronze. In 1967 he moved to Newlyn, Cornwall where he joined fellow artist and friend John Wells in his studio.