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Maggi Hambling CBE is a celebrated British artist, born in Sudbury, Suffolk, in 1945. She was First Artist in Residence at the National Gallery, London, and she has works in major museum collections worldwide, including The Met, New York, CAFA, Beijing, Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; and London's TATE, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, British Museum. In 2010, she was awarded a CBE in recognition of her contribution to British art. |
Painting & Sculpture, Suffolk to London |
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She first studied at Benton End, Suffolk, under the painters Lett Haines and Cedric Morris, who had previously taught Lucian Freud. She continued her studies at Ipswich School of Art and then attended both the Camberwell School of Art and Crafts, and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. She became the first Artist in Residence at the National Gallery in 1980-81. Her portraits of Andy Murray, Dorothy Hodgkin, George Melly and Max Wall hang in the National Portrait Gallery. Public sculpture includes 'A Conversation with Oscar Wilde' (1998), London, facing Charing Cross Station and Scallop (2003), a sculpture to celebrate Benjamin Britten, at Aldeburgh beach, Suffolk, for which the artist was awarded the Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture. A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft was unveiled in Newington Green, London in 2020. |
Maggi Hambling Waves & Sea Paintings |
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Since the early 2000s, Hambling's primary muse has been the North Sea. Maggi Hambling sea paintings and waves have both the unbridled energy of the sea, but also a sensuality and a captivating, endless unfolding of rhythms and moods. The dynamic brushwork and intense emotion of Maggi Hambling waves capture the raw power and ever-changing nature of the sea. |
Major Public Commissions and Exhibitions |
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Hambling's work extends beyond the canvas, as evidenced by her public sculptures. Her most famous work, Scallop (2003), stands on Aldeburgh beach as a tribute to composer Benjamin Britten. This four-metre-high steel sculpture, inscribed with Britten's words "I hear those voices that will not be drowned", exemplifies Hambling's ability to create art that resonates with its environment and viewers alike. Portrait commissions include George Melly, Andy Murray and Dorothy Hodgkin at the NPG, and a retrospective of six decades of her work was held at Gainsborough's House, Suffolk, in 2023. Since 2017, her work has increasingly gained international recognition, with exhibitions in Beijing, Turin, Madrid, and New York. In 2022, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York acquired one of her 'Wall of Water' paintings, further cementing her international status. |
Maggi Hambling Monograph and TV Documentaries |
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In 2006, the monograph "MAGGI HAMBLING THE WORKS and conversations with Andrew Lambirth" was published by Unicorn Press, and it provides an in-depth look into her creative process and career, since she is interviewed in depth in the book. The BBC-commissioned documentary 'MAGGI HAMBLING: Making Love with the Paint' (2020), offers insights into her inspirations, and her approach to painting, while the upcoming SKY Arts documentary, hosted by art historian Kate Bryan, will air in December 2024. |
Maggi Hambling and IAP Fine Art |
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We have enjoyed working with Maggi since 1997, when we published her iconic 'Portrait of Derek Jarman' in support of the Terrence Higgins Trust. . In 2006, we published her silk-screen prints 'George Melly Singing' and 'Stephen Fry Musing' in support of THT, which were launched in person by Maggi, George Melly and Stephen Fry. We also hold a diverse range of works, from her wave paintings, to watercolours, selected portraits and prints. |