This fabulous large bronze work by Steve Dilworth was first created for an important solo exhibition titled 'Extracted from Cinnabar' in 2001. Enclosed within the bronze carapace is a phial of mountain air which Dilworth collected at the top of a mountain on the dawn of Midsummer and trapped within a glass phial using a blow torch. This process was documented by the artist through photography and film.

For Dilworth, the internal and external parts of his sculptures are considered equally – many are containers holding other elements, some visible, some not. His ritualised method of construction adds a shamanistic quality to his work. This primitivist element is almost always present, although some of his elegant formal carvings owe more to a modernist inspiration.

Dilworth often encases natural objects he has found within his sculptures. The solid remains of animals and birds, beautiful in their own right, impart an energy and life to his sculpture. Even when completely enclosed, like the heart in a living body or the engine in a static vehicle, they empower the sculpture in both conceptual and symbolic ways. Dilworth says:

"I want to retrieve that moment of understanding, not by describing but by making. Of course I’ll fail, but in that chemistry of making another moment will appear. These objects are drawn from an internal landscape of shifting sands, connections are constantly being discovered."

Many of Dilworth’s works belong to permanent collections, such as the Scottish Arts Council Collection and the Knox Collection in Suffolk. He has also undertaken numerous private and public commissions for various institutions. His work has been featured in a wide range of publications such as Robert MacFarlane's 'The Old Ways' as well as television programmes and films. In 2024, a new monograph about Steve Dilworth written by Georgina Coburn was published and a new film 'Stuff The World is Made Of' was released by Paul Cox.