Charleston
19 May–30 August 2021
Charleston presents the first retrospective of artist Nina Hamnett who was at the center of the British-French exchange of art and ideas in the early 20th century.
The exhibition explores key aspects of the Welsh artist’s practice from her painting to her technical drawing skills, which have, in recent times, remained little known and unseen, spanning three decades.
Hamnett’s frank and intimate portraits represent her greatest body of work, illustrating her significant contribution to the modern art movement. Additionally, her own experience as an artist’s model undoubtedly enabled her to capture the character and personality of her sitters so well. The exhibition includes over 50 works with many portraits of her friends and acquaintances who were also some of the best-known artists and writers of the time, including Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Ossip Zadkine and Horace Brodzky.
Hamnett’s paintings give us a glimpse into her life in Paris and London’s avant-garde communities, and into the relationships she forged. Her compelling portraits and skillful compositions such as her Parisian café scenes, reveal Hamnett to be one of the most talented and exciting artists of her time.
