LONDON.- Claridge’s ArtSpace opened, earlier this year, THE HUDSONS, Family Ties, a multidisciplinary, intergenerational exhibition of work by Richard, Richard WM and Henry Hudson. Curated by Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst, the exhibition brings together these three British artists – father and sons – to be shown together for the very first time.

In all their work, they are united in their deep understanding and fascination of nature and natural forms. Their artistic practices all began to evolve at a similar time, though in remarkably different directions, incorporating a variety of mediums and processes. Yet, crucially, all connect strongly with the intricate and complex materiality of their mediums, involving physical processes that work earthen materials with clay, plasticine, scagliola and wood.

From the elder Richard’s large-scale stainless-steel sculptures to Henry’s tactile mixed media works, and Richard WM’s distinctive pieces made from natural foraged materials, the works are studied, thoughtful reflections borne fundamentally from the artists’ formative time living on a farm. With the elder Richard a farmer prior to his shift into design and art, alongside more formal art education at school the boys would spend long periods of time with him, examining the intricacies of the nature by which they were constantly surrounded.

The arresting forms of the elder Richard’s sculptures are at once both abstract and strangely familiar, inspired by the micro and macro elements within nature and space. Drawing inspiration from sculptors such as Henry Moore, Jean Arp and Constantin Brancusi, his refined yet organic work explores the canon of Western sculpture and changing approaches to beauty. While he works in small scale in his studio, first sculpting maquettes in plaster and clay, his monumental works are also cast in bronze, sculpted in marble, or, as is most often, produced in monumental stainless steel. These polished, smooth and sensuous forms then sit back within the landscapes that inspired them, using their reflective surfaces to mirror the earth’s endless beauty.

Henry’s practice is renowned for his richly textured, fantastical jungle scenes, in which his ‘paintings’ are painstakingly sculpted with plasticine. For his newer works, however, presented in this exhibition, he employs a distinctive new process, using scagliola, a fine plaster and glue used predominantly in 17th Century Italy. Working upside down on glass, he eliminates the prospect of predefining the final result with his previous precision, leaving his subject matter alone to influence this in a game of chance, or serendipity. Inspired by the reflections on the River Thames seen during his Covid walks, and latterly other reflective landscapes, the works are quietly contemplative, becoming like silky abstractions which embody the spirit of the water they reflect.

Richard WM combines various media in his work, often incorporating clay with wood or stone. While more classically trained as a ceramicist, in recent years his work has become increasingly charged, touching upon poignant themes such as nature’s own destructive power and the emergence of new growth. Finding both inspiration and materials within nature, he often forages in the forest, finding pieces of wood which he burns to expose their core structures. The results are haunting, beautiful testimonies to the fragile beauty of our ecosystem.

Throughout the exhibition, the work of these three artists presents an ongoing, fluctuating meditation on nature – in all its forms, in both its strength and vulnerability, as well as our own relationship with it. Nature is painted as a physical space for solace and sanctuary but also as a mirror through which to consider the various perspectives of our ‘human’ fields – of not only art, but also anthropology, psychology and philosophy.

“It has been refreshing to work with this innovative space to show the works of three unique exceptional British artists – father and sons – together for the very first time, and in such an iconic location. While their practices differ materially, Richard, Henry and Richard (Hudson) are unified in exploring nature as both a physical and psychological space, resulting in works that are complex, thoughtful and inspiring.” Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst, Superblue CEO and Exhibition Curator

Coinciding with THE HUDSONS, Family Ties in Claridge's ArtSpace will be an installation of works throughout the iconic Claridge's hotel lobby from British contemporary sculptor Richard Hudson. These include a large-scale Tear work of polished mirrored steel weighing 240kg and measuring two metres in height. Visitors to the hotel will also see new editions alongside the lobby columns of Held and Twice.

Richard Hudson

Richard Hudson (b. 1954, Yorkshire, UK) is a British sculptor whose organic sculptures are shown internationally and collected widely. Richard began working with sculpture at a relatively late age after many years of traveling. He is best known for his work in polished mirrored steel, bronze and marble with a number of monumental works on public display. His soft lines and voluptuous style is combined with inspiration from great artists such as Henry Moore, Jean Arp and Constantin Brancusi. Richard Hudson has undertaken many prestigious public commissions around the world, including in London, New York, Dubai, Istanbul, Vancouver, Mexico and Taipei, as well as on several occasions as part of Sotheby’s Chatsworth House and Thirsk Hall Sculpture Park. His work has been shown by galleries globally and in major art fairs around the world, including: TEFAF (Maastricht, The Netherlands); Masterpiece, PAD and Art14 (London, UK); ARCO and Art Madrid (Madrid, Spain); The Armory (New York, USA); Expo ChicagO (Chicago, USA); Dallas Art Fair (Dallas, USA); Art Basel Hong Kong and Hong Kong Contemporary Art Fair (Hong Kong); Art Stage Singapore (Singapore); and Abu Dhabi Art and Dubai Art Expo (UAE). His work also exists in prominent private collections globally.

Richard WM Hudson

Richard WM Hudson (b. 1980, Bath, UK) has been working as a mixed media artist since a young age. He gained awards throughout school and had his work acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum at the age of 16. Richard has also worked as a set, costume and interior designer, having completed a BA in Theatre Design at Central St Martins and an MA in Film Production Design at the National Film School. Strongly influenced by the decade he spent living in a remote part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, he sources natural foraged materials to create works with a dark, earthy tonality that are also homages to the materials’ original origin. Richard’s woodworks are often carved, scorched, and polished to create pieces with strong prehistoric fossil references. Others are wielded into requiems, statuesque monuments to the glories of death. His ceramics are crafted from natural- coloured raw clays and regularly paired with carefully chosen foraged artefacts. Richard’s sculptures have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the UK, including Tristan Hoare Gallery and TJ Boulting in London. He has exhibited abroad, and has participated in charity auctions for Christie’s, both in London and New York. His work also exists in numerous public exhibitions and prominent private collections.

Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson (b. 1982, Bath, UK) graduated from Central St. Martins and now lives and works in London. A British artist who makes paintings, sculpture, etchings and performance-based work, Hudson is best recognised for his use of plasticine, creating paintings that have a depth and sculptural quality. He softens the plasticine over a hotplate so that it can be manipulated with his fingers. It is then mixed, impastoed thickly on board in several layers of colour, finally sculpted and texturised with biros, paint brushes and other make-shift tools. Henry Hudson has had solo exhibitions at such galleries as Unit Gallery, London; Palo Gallery, New York; Sotheby’s S|2 Gallery, New York; Sotheby’s S|2 Gallery, London; Sir John Soane's Museum, London; Carl Kostyál Gallery, London; Galerie Isa, Mumbai; Galerie Kandlhofer, Vienna; 20 Hoxton Square Projects, London; TJ Boulting, London; The Fine Art Society, Hong Kong; and F2 Gallery, Beijing. Hudson's work has been reviewed by such periodicals as LOVE Magazine, The New York Times, The Telegraph Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal and written about by artists and critics including Richard Dorment, Marc Quinn, Cressida Connolly and Nick Foulkes. His work is included in public and private collections including the Zabludowicz Collection, London; The Hiscox Collection, London; Ömer Koç Collection, Istanbul; Marc Quinn Collection, London; Alexander Dellal Collection, London; David Ross Collection, London; and the Collection of Lord and Lady Roussev, London.

Claridge’s ArtSpace
The Hudsons: Family Ties
Curated by Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst
January 31st - April 14th, 2024