David Hockney's New Exhibition Pays Tribute to Carers and Close Associates
Renowned artist David Hockney is set to showcase a deeply personal new series of paintings at the Serpentine North gallery in Hyde Park, London, from March 12 to August 23. The exhibition will feature portraits of his full-time carers and closest companions, including Thomas Mupfupi, one of his carers, and Jack Ransome, the craftsman who makes his glasses. This collection highlights Hockney's enduring commitment to art as a source of joy and connection, despite his own health challenges in recent years.
A Celebration of Inner Circle and Artistic Vision
At 88 years old, Hockney has faced health issues, including a minor stroke in 2013, but he continues to paint with vigor. His latest works comprise five still lifes and five portraits, with family members also featured among the subjects. Additionally, the exhibit includes a printed mural of his garden at his 17th-century home in Normandy, France, which he created digitally using an iPad. Hockney remarked, 'I have always believed that art should be a deep pleasure. There is always, everywhere, an enormous amount of suffering, but I believe that my duty as an artist is to overcome and alleviate the sterility of despair.' He further emphasized, 'New ways of seeing mean new ways of feeling... I do believe that painting can change the world.'
Hockney's Illustrious Career and Recent Moves
Hockney, a native of Bradford, has enjoyed a career spanning over six decades. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 1962 and lived in the city until 1973, before relocating to Los Angeles in 1964. He returned to Britain in 2003 but moved back to Los Angeles after the tragic death of his studio assistant, Dominic Elliot, in 2013. In 2019, his 1972 painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) set a record as the highest price ever paid at auction for a work by a living artist, selling for $90.3 million in 2018. Hockney purchased his Normandy residence that same year and returned to Britain once more in 2024, though he has kept details of his health problems private.
Critical Acclaim and Artistic Innovation
Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of Serpentine, praised Hockney's ongoing exploration, stating, 'At 88, David Hockney continues to explore the language of painting with remarkable ingenuity, fusing figurative and abstract modes across still lifes, portraits, and a panoramic frieze comprising more than 100 iPad paintings.' He added, 'In his new portraits, he captures not only his sitters but also the very act of seeing, while the frieze offers a deeply personal meditation on the passage of time.' Bettina Korek, Serpentine's chief executive, noted, 'David Hockney's work invites us to slow down, to look closely, and to reconnect with the world around us.' This exhibition not only celebrates Hockney's inner circle but also underscores his innovative use of technology and enduring impact on the art world.
