‘Hepworth in Colour’ is an ambitious exhibition at The Courtauld and the first ever to explore a less familiar aspect of Hepworth’s work – namely the artist’s lifelong fascination with colour. With exhibition and graphic design by Nissen Richards Studio, the exhibition unites Hepworth’s early innovative sculptures with colour of the 1940s, which are displayed alongside the most important drawings from that decade, along with major examples of her work with colour from the 1950s and 1960s.

The elegant and minimalist exhibition design sought to ensure Hepworth’s works were always centre stage, whilst layering the content through the use of punchy, coloured backdrops and artwork stages in a way that ensures visual and thematic relationships right across the gallery, from wherever the visitor stands.

The focused, research-driven exhibition is comprised of around 20 sculptures and 30 exceptional drawings, showing sculpture in dialogue with her painted and graphic works. At the heart of the exhibition is an extraordinary group of wood and stone carvings created in the 1940s, with vivid blues and yellows painted into hollows and onto curves. Many of these have never previously been shown together and include key works from public and private collections, including as far afield as Australia and Hong Kong.

This exciting and unique opportunity to discover the vital and expressive role of colour in Hepworth’s sculpture, offering a fresh way of understanding one of the most remarkable artists of the 20th century, garnered exceptional reviews on opening, including 5* notices from both The Times and the London Standard.