Maggi Hambling is a contemporary British painter and sculptor. Hambling studied first at Cedric Morris’s and Arthur Lett-Haines’ East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing before going to the Ipswich (1962–64), Camberwell (1964–67) and Slade (1967–69) Schools of Art. In 1980, she was invited to be the first artist in residence at the National Gallery, London.
Hambling’s work has been the subject of many solo museum exhibitions since 1980, including two solo exhibitions at The National Gallery, London in 1981 and 2014 along with solo exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery in 1983 and 2009. Other significant museum exhibitions include The Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, USA (1981); the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (1997); The Lowry, Salford (2009); Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (2009); The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (2010); Winchester Cathedral (2013); The Hermitage, St Petersburg (2013); Somerset House (2015); The British Museum, London (2016); The Jerwood Gallery, Hastings (2018); CAFA Art Museum, Beijing (2019); and Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury (2023). Hambling’s work has been acquired by many important private and public collections including in the UK by Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, British Museum, and outside the UK by CAFA, Beijing and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Public sculptures include A Conversation with Oscar Wilde, London; Scallop (for Benjamin Britten), Aldeburgh Beach; The Brixton Heron, London; and A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft, London.
Maggi Hambling occupies a unique position as an artist who has consistently embraced a spirit of rebelliousness throughout her career, making her one of the most celebrated female artists in the British art scene. Rooted in her own lived experiences, Hambling’s work remains a reflection of and draws inspiration from people, places, and her identity as a pioneering artist with a queer perspective.
Hambling believes that regardless of the time dedicated to a painting, it must culminate in a single moment—akin to the profound physicality of love.
In Maggi Hambling: The Night episode of The Pearl Lam Podcast, Pearl Lam sits down with acclaimed British artist Maggi Hambling for a revealing discussion about Maggi’s life and career. Maggi and Pearl are joined by Louisa Buck, a renowned British art critic and art journalist who delve into topics including Maggi and Louisa’s joint stint on 1980s gameshow Gallery and Maggi’s exploration of seduction and intimacy.
Visit Maggi Hambling’s website here.
