Sculpture has many different styles and attributes. There are so many different types of sculpture that it is difficult to define what a sculpture is. As with other visual arts such as pictures, photographs and crafts, our memories and experiences in life affect what we see. Sculpture can stir our emotions - dislike, puzzlement, awe, happiness, sadness and so on - and really make us think and feel.

This lesson attempts to explore some of the ways in which it is possible to look at sculpture and what it may mean to us.

Sculpture is often, although not always, situated in public spaces and as such belongs to all of us. In this way it could be said to be universal. Sculpture is often concerned with both the particular and the general. It may isolate a particular idea or its purpose may be to celebrate or focus our attention on these things.

Sculptors bring their own artistic skills and knowledge to the work and may prefer to use particular materials. The range of materials sculptors work with is vast - from stone to ceramics, metal, wood, glass, plastics, steel, bronze and more.

In addition, sculptors may use the formal elements of scale, form, dimension, colour, pattern, surface texture, perspective, structure and colour.

Look through the sculptures below and list some of the materials used in your sketchbook.

Not all the sculpture in Cardiff Bay has been made by Welsh sculptors, or even by British sculptors. The artists are a mixture of international sculptors: French, Irish, Welsh, American, Nigerian, Punjabi and more. The artworks came about as a result of the Cardiff Bay Arts Trust, now known as CBAT. The idea of involving Welsh artists alongside artists from other countries was to reflect the strong multicultural history of the area formerly known as Tiger Bay.