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It’s a testament to Henry Moore’s genius that his artworks rival the natural beauty of the landscapes they’re often placed in. From the Yorkshire Sculpture Park to the Henry Moore Studios and Gardens in Hertfordshire, the best way to see the late, great sculptor's creations is to get out among the elements.
Now there’s another chance to do so, as Kew’s Wakehurst Gardens in west Sussex has announced that a new open-air exhibition, Henry Moore and More, is due to launch on June 5. It’ll feature four Moore sculptures, as well as site-specific works created by the contemporary artists Rafael Pérez Evans, Paloma Varga Weisz and Rana Begum.
Moore, who was born in Castleford, west Yorkshire, died in 1986 but remains one of the most revered sculptors ever. His four works on loan to Wakehurst, as curated by the Henry Moore Foundation, are: Reclining Figure (1982), Mother and Child Block Seat (1983-4), Relief No. 1 (1959) and Reclining Connected Forms (1969).
Rafael Pérez Evans’ artwork, created on the site, is entitled Horizontals 2026 and was partly inspired by Moore’s famous reclining figures.
Paloma Varga Weisz, meanwhile, began developing her Wilde Leute (‘Wild People’) series in 1998, drawing influence from symbolic medieval characters who lived among nature. The three Evans sculptures going on display at Wakehurst have never been exhibited in the UK before.
Rana Begum’s site-specific sculpture features wooden logs sourced from fallen trees on-site and is designed, as Wakehurst puts it, to ‘explore the tensions between the man-made and the natural, architecture and landscape, permanence and transience’.
Wakehurst also worked on the project with the Leeds-based Henry Moore Institute, while this is the first time that the botanic garden and estate has collaborated with Richmond’s Kew Gardens, its sister site, on a major exhibition.
Wakehurst’s director Susan Raikes said: ‘Partnering with the Henry Moore Institute to commission and exhibit new contemporary works from leading artists gives us a unique way to link Moore’s enduring themes – his deep care for and connection with the natural environment – to today’s most exciting artistic voices.
‘Our contemporary artists have also taken inspiration from Wakehurst as a living laboratory and the vital science and research that takes place through our pioneering Nature Unlocked programme, in addition to our globally important Millennium Seed Bank. Both embody our mission to care for, and conserve, the natural world.’
Entry to Henry Moore and More is included in entry to Wakehurst, with an adult ticket priced at £18.50. Children can attend for free, while those aged between 17 and 25 are eligible for a Young person / Student ticket priced at £9.25. Universal Credit recipients may purchase a ticket for just £1.
Remember when the world’s largest exhibition of Henry Moore sculptures came to London?
Plus! Henry Moore: Monumental Nature.
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