This week brings an extraordinary convergence of major artistic talent across Britain, with significant exhibitions from three of the country's most prominent contemporary artists: Maggi Hambling, Sarah Lucas, and Anish Kapoor. Each presents powerful new work that continues to challenge and captivate audiences.
Maggi Hambling's Coastal Confrontations
Maggi Hambling has unveiled a major new exhibition at the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings, running until 23 February 2025. The show features her dramatic new series The Wave, which continues her long-standing engagement with the sea as both subject and adversary.
Hambling, now 79, remains one of Britain's most formidable artistic forces. Her work captures the raw power and relentless motion of the ocean in a way that feels both immediate and eternal. The exhibition also includes several of her celebrated portrait sculptures, demonstrating the remarkable range of an artist who has consistently defied categorization throughout her five-decade career.
Sarah Lucas: Provocation and Humour at Tate Liverpool
Meanwhile, Sarah Lucas brings her characteristically provocative and humorous work to Tate Liverpool in a comprehensive survey opening this weekend. The exhibition spans her entire career, from early readymades to recent large-scale sculptures.
Lucas, a central figure in the Young British Artists movement, continues to explore themes of gender, sexuality, and mortality with her trademark wit and directness. The Tate Liverpool presentation offers the most complete overview of her work in northern England to date, featuring iconic pieces alongside new creations made specifically for the Liverpool galleries.
Anish Kapoor's Monumental Return
Completing this trio of major shows is Anish Kapoor, who presents V-ICE at Modern Art Oxford. The exhibition features several monumental new works that play with perception, materiality, and scale in ways that have become characteristic of the Turner Prize-winning artist.
Kapoor's exploration of deep blues and voids creates immersive experiences that challenge viewers' understanding of space and form. The Oxford exhibition represents his most significant UK museum showing in several years, reaffirming his position as one of Britain's most internationally recognised sculptors.
A Moment for British Art
This simultaneous presentation of three major figures across different English cities creates a remarkable moment for the British art scene. From Hambling's elemental coastal dialogues in Hastings to Lucas's provocative installations in Liverpool and Kapoor's perceptual experiments in Oxford, visitors have an unprecedented opportunity to experience the diversity and strength of contemporary British art.
Each artist, though working in distinctly different modes, shares a commitment to pushing their practice forward rather than resting on past achievements. Their continued productivity and relevance demonstrate the vitality of Britain's artistic community, offering powerful experiences for both dedicated art followers and new audiences alike.
The exhibitions come at a time when regional galleries outside London are increasingly hosting world-class programming, making significant art more accessible to audiences across the country. This geographical spread highlights the health of the UK's arts ecosystem beyond the capital's traditional centres.
