Absolutely Mama meets Mads Montagu-Andrews, mama-of-three and founder of Studio Bust – a studio creating beautiful personalised sculptures of womanhood

Could you tell us a little bit about your own motherhood journey and how that played a part in you setting up Studio Bust?

I have always loved art, with a gallery on the agenda on any city break we plan. Whilst I was pregnant with my first daughter, I was a model for one of Mr Bingo’s yearly advent calendars, then when pregnant with my second daughter, I again wanted to capture my changing form but in a different medium. Inspired by my Mother in Law’s eclectic sculpture collection, I was drawn to Bronze, but wasn’t sure we had the space for a life-size bump cast in our London flat, or the budget to sit with a traditional sculptor. Thus, after much research, Studio Bust was born – combining the best of modern technology with age old casting techniques to create bespoke sculptures, scaled to a size that suits our clients.

How does the 3D scanning technology work?

Our 3D scanner uses structured light technology to capture our client’s bodies with incredible accuracy. It flashes like a normal camera (so no UV or laser) but at a higher frequency with the images then being ‘stitched’ together to create a digital image that is immediately available to view on screen during the appointment. Combining 3D scanning and bronze casting is still a relatively new concept and we love making bespoke and bronze sculpture more accessible to the next generation in a way that suits modern living.

We love your Bust Portraits series. Who have been the most inspiring women you’ve worked with so far?

I love that I get to meet women in so many different phases of life, we celebrate every age and stage, so have clients in their 20s through to their 70s visiting (there’s no upper limit!).

We’re always incredibly touched when people are vulnerable and share what they’ve been through and why they’ve chosen to capture a specific moment in time. Whether it’s a longed-for pregnancy, disordered eating or pre/post surgery, we are so honoured to create a sculpture that celebrates them, often helping to reframe their mindsets, which enables them to see themselves as a work of art.

Regardless of people’s history, it’s always inspiring and powerful to see women taking an opportunity to celebrate their milestones, a lot of our clients do this as a gift to themselves which we love.

Being a mama of girls, how are you raising them to be body confident?

I’ve always been drawn to the female form, which has long been reflected in the artwork around our home, and even more so now that I’ve got Studio Bust. My daughters love coming to our Hampshire studio where everything is made and I hope seeing such a variety of bodies, each of them a work of art, will have a lasting impact as they navigate their teens and adult life!

And finally, if you could capture any part of early motherhood and distil it, what would it be?

Our youngest is 18 months, and it’s always around now, when we feel like we’re almost out of the woods (and a meal at a restaurant isn’t complete torture) that we find ourselves yearning for those early newborn days and considering a fourth. I love the feeling of community during those early weeks, when family and friends have come together to support us, the excitement and love is just incredible! Thankfully, my friends are now in the early baby years, so we’ll be doing our best to pay back the support we received (food is a must for any visits to new parents) and snuggling their babes instead of having another!

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