Fabricating History

16 May 13 - 11 Jun 13

Maria Torroba's compositions are visually enchanting and richly tactile, incorporating the lustre of oil painting with antique fabrics and lace embroidered by the artist's grandmother. Her inventive take on traditional Renaissance portraiture is both quixotic and ornate, whilst steeped in regal exuberance.

Torroba's visceral sensibility for traditional Renaissance and Baroque portraiture is informed by great works from the likes of Domenico Girlandaio and Diego Velazquez. Utilising these infamous silhouettes in a renewed fashion, Torroba playfully combines tradition with contemporaneity, flanking her figures with collaged newspaper clippings whilst abstracting and revitalising the very methods of portraiture.

Traces & Trails - Orlanda Broom

14 Mar 13 - 13 Apr 13

Traces & Trails is the much anticipated exhibition of new work by Orlanda Broom. In her new series, fantastical landscapes are magnified: there are only peeks at the horizon beyond. The plants and flowers in the foreground give the feel of being enveloped in lush and multicolored oases.

Through a Glass Darkly

19 Feb 13 - 13 Mar 13

A Surreal Take on Female Beauty

Stephanie Hoppen Gallery's upcoming exhibition ‘Through a Glass Darkly’ will comprise four contemporary photographers' differing takes on the female form. Taking as its starting point Hendrik Kerstens's photographs of his daughter, Paula, which reference Old Master's paintings, the exhibition will continue with the work of Dutch photographer Suzanne Jongmans, whose works investigate the transience of time through portraits of women adorned with 16th and 17th century costumes and photographed with painterly lighting. American artist Jamie Baldridge's surreally enhanced photography has a similar painterly quality that offers intriguing and unexplained fairy-tale images of women, while UK artist James Ostrer takes an unusual look at the pressures of perfection in his work with San Francisco Ballet princial dancer Maria Kochetkova.

The works form an eclectic collection each investigating female beauty in a different light, be it through an obsession with the past or the striving for physical perfection through pain, or the surreal beauty of the unusual.

The January Show

18 Jan 13 - 15 Feb 13

Stephanie Hoppen Gallery's January show will feature different takes on nature. Richard Walker's paintings, while informed by nature, have a surrealistic feel at times, when colours are more extreme and we are drawn into the foliage like a dreamscape. Rachel Lévy's new series of Hydrangeas pick out the vibrant hues of nature, while Will Ayres's technically superb still lifes of flowers in vases offer a contemporary twist to a classic genre.

Pets Academy!

21 Nov 12 - 21 Dec 12

Frederique Morrel's eccentric and exquisite "artifacts" will once again take over the gallery for our final exhibition of 2012.
Her ingeniously crafted deer. bunnies and bambi's will be joined by horses, cows and wild boar to make up Pets Academy!

Anne Penman Sweet - Ocean Avatars

10 Oct 12 - 10 Nov 12

Ocean Avatars is an exhibition of new works by Anne Penman Sweet which sees the artist exploring the limits of medium. Experimenting with gesso and canvas, surface and scale, the figures of great oil tankers and rigs emerge and take form.

Denis Fremond, Interiur/Exterieur

12 Sep 12 - 12 Oct 12

Interieur/Exterieur will be an exhibition of entirely new paintings by French artist Denis Fremond. His ethereal and atmospheric oil paintings combine a trademark painterly quality reminiscent of Edward Hopper as well as a curious cerebral undercurrent.

Summer Show

10 Aug 12 - 8 Sep 12

We are currently showing a mix of new work by gallery artists, including Orlanda Broom, Maria Torroba, Rachel Levy, Christian de Laubadere, James Holdworth & Betty Van der Voort.

James Holdsworth - Summer 2012

7 Jul 12 - 3 Aug 12

Following on from the continued success of his annual summer exhibitions at Stephanie Hoppen Gallery, James Holdsworth (b. 1954) will present a new series of his signature playful portraits.
In his mixed-media paintings, icons of the art world, music industry and the silver screen encounter mischievous or flirtatious cartoon characters in unexpected and arresting encounters.
An urban street-art aesthetic informs these comical paintings, which also have a deeper subtext commenting on contemporary society and popular culture.

Les Nuques

9 Jun 12 - 5 Jul 12

An exhibition of exquisite paintings by
Christian de Laubadere, a French artist based in Shanghai.
Composed of charcoal on paper, gold and silver leaf, antique fabrics and fans, these paintings are a captivating combination of old and new, east and west.

Las Reinas

11 May 12 - 8 Jun 12

Maria Torroba is the newest artist to join Stephanie Hoppen Gallery.
Based in Madrid, she is inspired by the great portraits of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Her 'Mariana' and 'Giovanna' paintings incorporate a variety of different media including Spanish and Belgian linens, antique lave, ribbons and hessian.
They are charming and chic - a fun interpretation an historical icon.

Rachel Lévy

12 Apr 12 - 12 May 12

Following on from the unprecedented success of her debut exhibition last February, Stephanie Hoppen will be presenting a show of new work by French photographer Rachel Levy in April 2012.

Her unique take on botanical photography attracted enthusiastic media coverage and rapturous ardour from designers and collectors. The portraits of past-perfect, wilting, fading flowers appear almost like watercolours with the nuances colour and almost palpable texture. Alongside a recent suite of poppies and peonies in unusual colours such as bright orange and purple-black, we will be unveiling the first large-format work by this talented artist.

An ambitious artist, Rachel had been wanting for some time to experiment with large-format photography. She explains that for a whole year she tried unsuccessfully to have a camera lent to her from all of the major digital camera companies. Her requests finally found the right ears when the owner of Prophot (the most important photography retail store in France) believed in her vision and offered his assistance to select the right large-format camera and lens – a Mamiya 645.

The camera could be loaned for one week only and she wanted specifically to work on the Dahlias of the botanical collection in Paris both at the Jardin des Plantes and the Parc Floral de Paris – timing was paramount. These two gardens combined, cultivate over 170 different varieties of Dahlia. The head botanist at each garden agreed to let her have all of the”tired” flowers that she wanted - while they found the request quite peculiar they were also intrigued.

After 4 months waiting, the time finally came when the Dahlias were in bloom, and starting to wilt. At 8am each morning she would meet the gardeners to enter the park before the public. Given the size and the expense of the loaned camera she could not work on site, so instead used a large bucket to carefully collect her specimen, before returning to her studio for the shoot.

And then I would work all-day and return to the park the next morning to get more flowers. I must say I was in a state of total elation while doing this because I knew the result would be wonderful… .the week went by way too fast and I had to return the camera, sad but grateful.

Inland Islands

9 Mar 12 - 11 Apr 12

'Inland Islands' showcases brand new imagined-landscapes in brilliant colour by Orlanda Broom. Her signature use of acrylic paint and layers of resin bejewels the surface and these paintings transform any space.

We'll Take Manhattan

3 Feb 12 - 8 Mar 12

In February Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will be showing a fabulous selection of paintings by British and European artists who have all been seduced by the magic of New York City.

'I'll Take Manhattan' brings together works by Ronald Dupont, Mitro, Will Ayres and Denis Fremond. Each artist captures the rhythm and energy of this exuberant city in a unique way.

Betty Van der Voort

4 Jan 12 - 31 Jan 12

Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will start the new year with a series of new paintings by Belgian artist Betty Van der Voort inspired by the Modernist movement of the mid-20th Century.

With characteristic clean lines and a disciplined palette they are instantly Modernist in appearance, however her organic brushstrokes and the aged surface and texture of the canvas contradicts the industrial nature of Modernism. The works transcend period and style and appeal to collectors of all tastes.

View the artists' website here

Winter Exhibition

12 Dec 11 - 5 Jan 12

A beautiful collection of new works by artists including Orlanda Broom, James Holdsworth and Rachel Lévy. Runs until January.

Frederique Morrel

16 Nov 11 - 7 Dec 11

Deer, unicorn, foxes and bunnies shed their hides in exchange for a new skin of vintage tapestries to become one-of-a-kind 'artifacts' by French artist Frederique Morrel.
These creations are carefully hand-made in France using fibreglass taxidermy moulds and reclaimed textiles. Rescued from neglect in markets and garage sales, the tapestries are given a new lease of life in these esoteric and wonderfully original pieces.

Jewellery Show

16 Nov 11 - 19 Nov 11

For four days only from 16th - 19th November, Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will be showing a collection of exquisite jewellery.

Pieces from designers from France, Italy, the US will be exhibited, as well as the renowned London jeweller Disa Allsopp.

The opening reception is to be held on the 16th November.

Please contact us for further information.

Hendrik Kerstens

1 Nov 11 - 15 Nov 11

An exhibition featuring new works by internationally acclaimed Dutch photographer Hendrik Kerstens.

Continuing his series of 'Paula Pictures' the artist uses his daughter as his model, projecting onto her his fascination with the Dutch Master painters of the seventeenth century.

The austerity and clarity of the photographs, coupled with the serenity of the subject and the characteristic 'Dutch' light combine to create striking and beautiful works of art. They are contemporary and yet timeless.

Rajinder Singh 'Ellaline (ella-len)

5 Oct 11 - 28 Oct 11

Indian artist Rajinder Singh's newest works from his 'CURIO' collection feature richly layered paintings that have the appearance of aged city walls. Incorporating Indian iconography and street art, the paintings are his first works since recently moving to the UK and are informed by the artist’s reflections and observations of his home country from the vantage point of living overseas; in particular the way in which his country has been depicted in the media by foreign press over the past few years.

Rajinder is one of a thousand artists worldwide listed in the Amsterdam based biannual compendium of artists 'Thousand Living Painters'. He was recently among 20 emerging artists selected to represent Asia in a juried competition in Hong Kong and he was the first South East Asian artist to undertake a residency at the famous Mourlot studios in Paris. In 2011/2012 he will be exhibiting in London, Paris, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Korea, New York and Buenos Aires.

Anne Penman Sweet

14 Sep 11 - 3 Oct 11

Following three sell-out shows in as many years, Anne Penman Sweet’s latest works, on show from the 17th September 2011, continue her exploration of the poetic side of industry. In her large-scale oil paintings, tankers, docks and mining sites are rendered not as menacing but are instead imbued with a sympathetic and somewhat romanticised air.

Please contact info@stephaniehoppen.com for press release.

Will Ayres: New York

1 Sep 11 - 11 Sep 11

In early September Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will be showing new works by British artist Will Ayres. His oil paintings of Manhattan scenes perfectly capture the verve and spirit of the famous city, in the artist's trademark photorealist style. Cabs and people mingle with gushing steam, flags can be seen silhouetted against a pink dusk sky glimpsed from in between some sky scrapers, and iconic architecture is viewed from street level, towering over the city.

The exhibition will include Will's earlier 'Cigarette' works. It will run until the 12th September 2011.

Summer Show August

1 Aug 11 - 31 Aug 11

Throughout August Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will be presenting a group show of new photographs by Rachel Levy, paintings by Betty Van der Voort and Will Ayres among others.

Rachel Levy, 'Poppy Picotee' 2011 (detail).

Summer Show

1 Jul 11 - 31 Aug 11

Stephanie Hoppen's annual Summer Show begins on the 1st July. We will have new work by Orlanda Broom and New Photographs by Rachel Lévy on display.

'Silk Figs', 2011, Orlanda Broom

James Holdsworth: A Private View

2 Jun 11 - 30 Jun 11

Stephanie Hoppen Gallery is pleased to present a new collection of original paintings by the British Artist James Holdsworth (b. 1954). For the exhibition 'A Private View', Holdsworth has created works that develop his unique style: subverting portrayals of icons and fame through the looking glass of mass communication. The resulting paintings that make up the exhibition are humorous and shocking, but also tinged with a melancholy that contradicts their bawdy appearance.

The exhibition opens on the 02.06.11.

Denis Frémond

7 May 11 - 31 May 11

Stephanie Hoppen Gallery is pleased to announce the first UK exhibition of French artist Denis Frémond's new work this May. His atmospheric oil paintings are a synthesis of cinematic ambience and painterly observation. His paintings exude mystery. While the settings are recognisable – a villa on the Côte d'Azur, a Parisian brasserie, a New York apartment – the circumstances are always ambiguous.

Cropped like movie stills, Frémond’s compositions often feature a lone figure that is not the subject of the composition but rather a fixture: a piece of furniture or a prop. The solitude is not necessarily synonymous with melancholy, but more of uncertainty. There is a loaded sense of some impending action or drama as we are transported beyond the canvas and into the realm of their thoughts. His paintings are spacious and airy, with a restrained palette rendering the scenes peaceful and meditative. The environments he paints are intimate yet reflective.

Eric Chan

31 Mar 11 - 30 Apr 11

In April Stephanie Hoppen is pleased to present the first UK exhibition of award-winning Malaysian artist Eric Chan. Combining a diverse repertoire of imagery from historical archives, classical literature and art history, as well as botanical illustration and printed text, Eric Chan's large and sumptuous paintings explore notions of beauty, history and time.

Exploiting the power of imagery and its allusions to myth and fantasy, Chan entertains his preoccupation with beauty, its ideals and judgement. His works are the setting for unique unions between historical portraits, poetic text and exotic birds and flowers. Influenced by the aesthetics and techniques of photography, Chan employs tonal inversions to portraits of sitters in period costume, rendering them ghostly and adding to the tensions found in his paintings between past and present, language and technology. The exhibition will feature seven secially commissioned new paintings.

Eric Chan was born in Malaysia, and is currently living and working in Singapore. His work has been exhibited in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia.

Orlanda Broom

3 Mar 11 - 30 Mar 11

March 2011

Stephanie Hoppen Gallery is pleased to be showing new works by Orlanda Broom. Her imaginative landscape paintings of brilliant kaleidoscopic colour border on the fantastical: they are vivid and energetic. Forests, waterfalls and flora are present; the familiar motifs of landscape painting. However, in her works they are rendered dreamlike: visionary interpretations of the ordinary, exaggerated and romanticised by the artist.

Working from memory, Broom's paintings evolve organically through layers in an abstract expressionist manner. The impact of light and colour is central to her work, and the technique of using layers of clear resin, like a varnish, creates a high-gloss, glasslike finish, adding a saturation to the colour that intensifies and bejewels the paintings.

Rachel Lévy & Rebecca Louise Law

7 Feb 11 - 28 Feb 11

February 2011

New photography exhibition by French artist Rachel Lévy. Printed onto cotton paper to resemble watercolour paintings, her photographs of dying flowers bring a modern edge to botanical photography. Hung in groups of nine or fifteen, the works create striking walls of colour and can be hung in both contemporary and more classical interiors. Please see the attached images.

To complement the photographs of Rachel Levy, Stephanie Hoppen Gallery has specially commissioned two pieces by renowned London floral artist, Rebecca Louise Law. A background in both fine art and professional floristry inform her practise of combining flowers and natural materials to create beautifully unique floral installations. For this exhibition, Rebecca has sourced antique Victorian wooden chairs, which she will fill with fresh flowers, seamlessly integrating man-made and natural materials. Over time the blooms will fade and languish organically, revealing the unconventional beauty of faded grandeur captured in Levy's photographs.

Christian de Laubadere

30 Oct 10 - 27 Nov 10

November 2010

Christian de Laubadère signs his paintings in Chinese characters - Lu, meaning foot of the mountain, and Mi, meaning power. This is a direct translation of his childhood nickname, Loumi, meaning “my favourite one” in French dialect from the Gascon province. This curious combination of French and Chinese memories and traditions is at the heart of this artists work. Since he relocated from Gascony to Shanghai some six years ago, his love for China and reverence for Eastern beauty has continued to grow and is manifest in his elegant portraits of Chinese women.

The mysterious fusion of his French heritage and his adopted Chinese culture in his art combines a beauty and intrigue that is powerful and delicate at once. Steeped in history and tradition yet utterly modern, they are classically beautiful and utterly unique.

Anne Penman Sweet

30 Sep 10 - 30 Oct 10

Anne Penman Sweet's October 2010 exhibition 'The Industrial Sublime: Beauty in the Beast' continued her exploration of the poetic side of industry. In her oil paintings, tankers, docks and mining sites are rendered not as menacing but are instead imbued with a sympathetic and somewhat romanticised air. Through her impressionistic style and a palette that flits between pastels and rich jewel-like hues, Penman Sweet is able to soften the appearance of her unusual subject matter, turning the monstrous into the enchanting.

Ronald Dupont

2 Sep 10 - 25 Sep 10

In September Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will show a new collection of oil paintings by Ronald Dupont. His large-scale works of New York scenes perfectly capture the bustle and frantic energy of the city that never sleeps. Views of Manhattan, as seen through the eyes of a European artist, the paintings are an outsider’s vision in glorious Technicolor. His viewpoint is interesting and unusual, his angles often ones that native-born New Yorkers might ignore.

Ronald Dupont was born in 1961 in Belgium where he still lives and work today. A self-taught artist, he has been exhibited worldwide throughout the last 20 years including in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, USA, Lebanon, Dubai. His work features in numerous private, public and corporate collections.

Gliding Giants

16 Apr 13 - 14 May 13

In April 2013 Stephanie Hoppen Gallery will be showing a joint exhibition of new works by Stephane Joannes, Jef Van Campen and Anne Penman Sweet. The show 'Gliding Giants' will feature tankers, rigs and other industrial maritime objects and scenes, represented in three very different ways: abstracted, impressionistic and romanticised, each artist bringing a contrasting view of their shared, unusual subject matter.