As a first for Australia, the Heide Museum of Modern Art are set to showcase over 40 artworks by acclaimed British artist Dame Barbara Hepworth DBE within its main gallery. The exhibition, Barbara Hepworth: In Equilibrium, is a rare opportunity for Australian audiences to see the sheer genius of one of the world’s greatest sculptors – up close and personal.
On display at the Heide from November 5, 2022, to March 13, 2023, works from both noteworthy international and national collections are set to be included, each telling part of the remarkable story of the creative talent that was Barbara Hepworth.
Designed by the award-winning architects from Studio Bright, the exhibition notes the trajectory of her artistic career – from early marble carvings to large-scale abstract works. Drawing from the sculptures' love and admiration for nature in all its forms, the exhibition will exist in conversation with the surrounding natural landscape.
As a figurehead for the modernist movement in sculpture in 20th century Britain, Hepworth is widely known and recognised for her abstract sculptures. The method of ‘piercing’ the form has also been attributed to her innovation and is seen throughout many of her works.
In preparation for the exhibition, “Barbara Hepworth’s contribution to the evolution of modern art cannot be overestimated," says the museum’s head curator Kendrah Morgan. "Hepworth’s combination of modernist reductive form and timeless materials produces its own particular magic.”
Visit the Heide Museum of Modern Art from November 5 to experience the magic of Barbara Hepworth for yourself.