"Exploring the Blend of Abstraction and Figuration in Clare Woods' Unique Artistic Journey“

Stephen Friedman Gallery has recently expanded its array of representing artists by welcoming Clare Woods, a British artist celebrated for her vibrant and dynamic paintings that merge abstraction with figuration. Initially trained as a sculptor, Woods has honed a distinctive approach to exploring physical form in two-dimensional spaces, setting her apart in the contemporary art scene. 

▲ Clare Woods, Courtesy of Stephenfriendman Gallery.

Woods' artistic style is influenced by a diverse range of figures, including Paul Nash, Barbara Hepworth, Marlene Dumas, and Wolfgang Tillmans. This eclectic mix of influences allows her to challenge conventional art historical genres like landscape, portraiture, and still life, infusing them with themes of beauty, mortality, and loss.

Her creative process is distinctive, involving the development of compositions from an extensive collection of both found and personal photographs. Woods employs intuitive, free-flowing brushstrokes to deconstruct these images into their essential formal elements. This process starts with outlining an image on gessoed aluminium, followed by a contemplative approach to painting its structure. She combines oil and resin in her work, adding a sculptural quality to her paintings by adjusting color and tone through her brushwork.

▲ Clare Woods, Woolworth's Roses,2023, Oil on aluminiun, 124x96, Courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery.

The titles of Woods' artworks, selected from a large archive of quotations, are meant to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, offering an alternative entry point into her works. Noted art critic Simon Martin, in his 2016 essay for Woods’ exhibition at Pallant House Gallery, described her as "an inheritor of the Surrealist baton," acknowledging her unique ability to visualize and interpret unconscious associations in paint. 

▲ Clare Woods, Nowhere Fast, 2020, Oil on aluminium, 150x100, Courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery.Born in Southampton, UK, in 1972, Clare Woods now lives and works in Hereford. She was elected as a Royal Academician in 2022. Woods completed her BA in Fine Art Sculpture at Bath School of Art in 1994 and her MA in Fine Art at Goldsmith’s College in 1999. Her forthcoming solo exhibitions are scheduled for Norrtälje Kunsthal, Sweden in 2024, and Towner Eastbourne, UK in 2026.▲ Clare Woods Silent Breakdown, 2022, Oil on aluminium, 100x150, Courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery.

Clare Woods' works are featured in major public collections globally, including the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in the USA, Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, and numerous collections in the UK, such as the Arts Council Collection, Government Art Collection, and The Hepworth Wakefield. Besides her recent representation at Stephen Friedman Gallery, Woods is also affiliated with Buchmann Galerie in Berlin, Cristea Roberts Gallery in London, Martin Asbaek Gallery in Copenhagen, and Night Gallery in Los Angeles.

Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com