Ronald Moody: A Transatlantic Modernist, Sculpture 1935-84

Jamaican-born sculptor Ronald Moody is one of the most significant artists of the 20th century and yet, there have not been any comprehensive exhibitions or monographs of his work to date.

This major exhibition, guest curated by Moody specialist Ego Ahaiwe Sowinski working together with Eleanor Clayton, The Hepworth Wakefield’s Senior Curator, will explore the development of Moody’s art as well as his contribution and impact on British and international art history.

The exhibition will bring together 40 Moody works from large-scale figurative sculptures made in wood in the 1930s through to post-war experimentation with concrete and resin casting. These works will be set within the context of his contemporaries Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, artists he exhibited alongside such as Eileen Agar and his friend Jacob Epstein, as well as the group known as the Caribbean Artists Movement of which Moody was a founding member.

Ronald Moody: A Transatlantic Modernist, Sculpture 1935 – 84 will also include his broader creative endeavours such as poetry, writings and audio broadcasts that he turned to at the advent of the Second World War in which he discusses his artistic influences. This archive section will be presented in a specially commissioned installation by Sheffield-based artist Kedisha Coakley.

The first major book on Moody – exploring his legacy and impact through his key artistic relationships, networks and influences, and his relationship with nature, humanity and spirituality – will be published by Thames & Hudson in association with The Hepworth Wakefield on the occasion of the exhibition.