Clyde Hopkins was born in East Sussex in 1946 moving with his family to Cumbria when he was eleven. He studied Fine Art at the University of Reading in the 1960s where he met his future wife, the painter, Marilyn Hallam. He exhibited work for over forty years, produced in studios in Greenwich, Deptford and St Leonards.
Solo exhibitions included the Serpentine Gallery London (1978 and 1986), the Acme Gallery London (1979), the Ikon Birmingham and Rochdale Art Gallery (both 1985), Salisbury Art Centre (1988), Modern Times at the Castlefield Gallery Manchester (1989), Kunstverein Kirchzarten Germany (Kunst Europa 1991), Reg Vardy Arts Foundation Sunderland (1994), Atkinson Gallery Millfield School (1996), Vodka, a Stiff Breeze and Paranoia at the London Institute Gallery (1998), the Francis Graham Dixon Gallery London (1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997), Galeria Joan Prats New York (1990 and 1994), Upsilon Gallery New York and the Dock Museum Barrow in 2022, and Castor Gallery London in 2023.
Group exhibitions at public venues throughout the UK and Europe include the Hayward, the Whitechapel, the Axiom, the Bede, MOMA Oxford, the Royal Academy, John Holden Manchester, Stephen Lawrence Greenwich, Hastings Museum and Art galleries. Many private galleries have also exhibited his work.
He was awarded the Mark Rothko Memorial Fellowship (USA) in 1980-81 and in 1999 the Lorne Award. His work is in public and private collections in the UK, Europe and North America. He taught in many art colleges and universities and in 1982 was appointed Head of Painting at Winchester School of Art. He moved to Chelsea College of Art in 1990 and was made an Emeritus Professor after leaving in 2006.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Clyde Hopkins: Paintings 1989-1993, Castor Projects, London
2022 Panhandle Painting, The Dock Museum, Barrow
2022 Chaunticleer, Upsilon Gallery, New York
2022 Seagulls, Brian Sewell, Kicking etc., Linden Hall Studio
2022 The Politics of Formica, The Forum, Barrow
2019 A Path Through Dark and Light, APT Gallery
2016 Clyde Hopkins Paintings 116 gallery, Tenterden, Kent
2013 Clyde Hopkins Paintings 116 gallery, Tenterden, Kent
2012 brown madder Chelsea Futurespace, London (catalogue)
2012 Indian Yellow Merston Gallery, Chichester, West Sussex
2010 Clyde Hopkins Paintings 116 gallery, Tenterden, Kent
1998 Vodka, a Stiff Breeze and Paranoia London Institute Gallery, Davies St London
1997 Clyde Hopkins: Recidivist Paintings & Other Crimes, Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, London
1996 Clyde Hopkins: Paintings 1989-1996 Atkinson Gallery, Millfield, Somerset
1994 Galeria Joan Prats, New York, USA Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, London
1994 The Reg Vardy Arts Foundation Galleries, University of Sunderland UK
1992 Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, London
1991 Kunstverein Kirchzarten, Germany; Kunst Europa
1990 Galeria Joan Prats, New York, USA Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, London
1989 Modern Times: A Retrospective Exhibition Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
1989 Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, London
1988 Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, UK
1986 Serpentine Gallery, London
1986 Winchester Art Gallery, Winchester School of Art, Hampshire
1985 Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK (catalogue) Rochdale Art Gallery, Lancashire (catalogue)
1981 The ACME Gallery, London
1978 First Spring Show, Serpentine Gallery, London
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 Clyde Hopkins and Friends, Linden Hall
2016 Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery. London Islington Art Fair, Advanded Graphics London, London
Uncommon Chemistry, curated by Dan Howard-Birt, Observer Arts, Hastings, East Sussex
2015 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries London
Twenty exhibition APT Gallery, Deptford London Barford Sculpture Auction exhibition, Berloni Gallery, London
2014 Colour Boundary : with Caroline De Lannoy, Sharon Hall, Mali Morris and David Sweet, Northumbria University Newcastle
GB/SWITCH/NL Pulchri Studios, Den Haag, Nederlands
Drawing into Making, curated by John Crossley, Clarendon Studios, S E London
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries London
Detail curated by Andrew Bracey H Project Space Bangkok; Transition Gallery, London; (2015 Usher Gallery, Lincoln)
Colour Boundary (smaller version of Gallery North exhibition) : Slade School Gallery, UCL London
Colour and Otherness Grace Teshima, Paris (curated by John Crossley)
2013 Breakthrough Hastings Arts Forum, St Leonards on Sea, E Sussex
Islington Art Fair (Advanced Graphics London) Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries, London
Prints from Advanced Graphics : Beattie, Hopkins, Irwin, Kitchen, Klein at Chelsea Arts Club, London
The Perfect Death – Horizons Lion & Lamb Gallery, Hoxton, London
Conversations – An exhibition of small paintings curated by John Crossley, Clarendon Studios, S E London
2012 Delineation APT Gallery, Deptford
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA galleries, London
Significant Others (with Patrick Caulfield, Marilyn Hallam, Janet Nathan) Advanced Graphics Gallery, Borough, London
Discerning Eye (invited artist), Mall Galleries, London
The Art of War: Defence Kapil Jariwala Gallery, Camberwell, Londo
2011 Uncaught Hares – Parts1 & 2 at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, UoG, and at Clifford Chance, London (catalogue)
Invaluable APT Gallery, Deptford, London (curated by Sheila Vollmer & Victoria Rance)
Islington Art Fair (Advanced Graphics London)
2010 Scratching the Surface curated by Francesca Simon, with Geddes, Hopkins & Wragg Bay Art Gallery, Cardiff Wales
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries, London
SoCo Exhibition, St Mary in the Castle, Hastings East Sussex
MIX Artists at APT Studios, APT Gallery, Deptford London
Spoilt for Choice Advanced Graphics prints at KingÕs Place Gallery, London
2009 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries, London
Northern Print Biennale, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
2008 The Colour Show Hilton Young Gallery, Penzance, Cornwall; selected by Bo Hilton.
Same As It Ever Was exhibition in three venues, The Arts Gallery Davies Street, Chelsea Triangle Space Millbank and Chelsea Futurespace, London (curated by Clyde Hopkins with Donald Smith and Eamonn Maxwell; catalogue essays by David Ryan, Matthew Collings and Clyde Hopkins).
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries, London
Clyde Hopkins & Marilyn Hallam – Arts in Healthcare Scheme, Conquest Hospital, E Sussex, curated by Margaret Richards
2007 Scratching the Surface Drawing Schools, Eton College, Eton: Geddes, Hopkins, Simon & Wragg (essay by Mathew Collings)
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries, London
APT Open x2 selected by Emma Biggs & Mathew Collings, APT Gallery, Deptford, London.
SoCo Exhibition, Arts in Healthcare, St Leonards on Sea, E Sussex
Painting Unlimited..selected by Cath Ferguson, APT Gallery, Deptford, London.
20/21 Art Fair, RCA London (Advanced Graphics London)
SoCo December Exhibition, The Beacon, Hastings, East Sussex
2006 Circus Artpack, The Empire, Bethnal Green Thread drawings selected by A Parsons and H Shiba, APT Gallery, Deptford
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries, London
20/21 Art Fair Royal College of Art (Advanced Graphics London)
2005 Sea Voices: Contemporary British Painting Part two, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, East Sussex
Islington Art Fair Advanced Graphics London, London
2004 Islington Art Fair Advanced Graphics London, London
London Print Fair Royal Academy of Arts, London
Four Artists – Paintings and Prints: Beattie, Geddes, Hopkins, Jones: Advanced Graphics Gallery, Borough London
Clyde Hopkins, John McLean,Carol Robertson Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff Wales
The Mill Exhibition – selected by Nick Hall anderssonhall.com, Greenwich London
First APT Open Exhibition APT Gallery, Deptford London
2003 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, RA Galleries London
The Discerning Eye Mall Galleries London (selected by Bob Boas)
Small is Beautiful – War & Peace, Flowers Central Gallery London
2002 Ten Days in Deptford APT Gallery, London
The Discerning Eye Mall Galleries, London (selected by Graham Crowley)
Chelsea Arts Club, London
2001 Clyde Hopkins & Marilyn Hallam Art in Hospitals Project, Conquest Hospital, Rother NHS Trust, East Sussex
British Abstract Painting 2001 Flowers East Gallery London (catalogue)
Five Artists Lewisham Town Hall (loan scheme) London
Life in Art photographs by Steve Pyke, Folkestone, Hastings and SE England tour (catalogue/book publication)
Real Encounters, artists featured in Life in Art The Pier, Hastings East Sussex
Chelsea at Millbank research from artists at Chelsea College of Art London
2000 Islington Art Fair 2000 Advanced Graphics London, London
Five from Lewisham :loaned work for exhibition at the Civic Suite, Lewisham Town Hall, London
Art Fair Royal College of Art (with Francis Graham Dixon) London
New Publications Advanced Graphics London, London
Art on Paper Royal College of Art London Contemporary Print Exhibition The BarbicanCentre London
London Original Print Fair Royal Academy of Arts London
1999 Coastal Currents Hastings Museum and Art Gallery East Sussex
Islington Art Fair 1999 Francis Graham Dixon Gallery London
Works on paper APT Gallery, Deptford London Small is Beautiful Flowers West Gallery, Santa Monica USA
1998 Summer Exhibition Hastings Museum and Art Gallery East Sussex
Chelsea Arts Club London
Small is Beautiful – Music Flowers East Gallery London
1997 Delight (paintings by Dellow, Hallam, Hopkins, Rigden and Welch) Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston upon Thames
1996 Second Impressions Reg Vardy Arts Foundation Gallery, University of Sunderland
The Leading Edge London Institute Gallery, Davies Street London
Delight (paintings by Dellow, Hallam, Hopkins, Morris, Rigden and Welch) The John Holden Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University (selected, curated and catalogue essay by David Sweet)
British Abstract Art Part 3 – Works on Paper Flowers East Gallery, London
The Harlech Biennale Harlech, Wales
1995 British 20th Century Abstract Painting The Atkinson Gallery, Millfield Somerset
Tom Watt and Friends Ramsgate Library Gallery, Kent
Permanent Waves (invited artist) Hastings Museum and Art Gallery East Sussex
Recent Work Star Gallery, Lewes East Sussex
1994 Lead and Follow: the Continuity of Abstraction : Bede Gallery Jarrow, and Atlantis Gallery London (catalogue)
Whitechapel Open Whitechapel Art Gallery London
Gallery Artists: Paintings and works on paper 1982-94 Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery London
Made in Greenwich 1974-1994 The Living Room Gallery, Greenwich London
Summer Spectrum Hackney Arts Festival London
British Abstract Art: Part 1 Painting Flowers East Gallery London (illustrated catalogue)
Post Decadence 1984-94 Cafe Gallery London
1993 Contemporary British Art Four painters from Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery. Bayer A.G. Leverkusen and Dusseldorf Germany
Water Colour Curwen Gallery London
1992 Paintings and Sculpture from the Greenwich Studios
Woodlands Art Gallery London
A Centenary Exhibition University of Reading Berkshire
Whitechapel Open (invited artist) Whitechapel Art Gallery London
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (invited artist), RA Galleries London
Five Years: Works on paper & an Exterior Sculpture
Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery London
1991 Kunst Europa (organised by British Council) Kunstverein Kirchzarten, Germany (catalogue) Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery London
Inaugral Exhibition – the Gallery at John Jones London
Artspace Bristol Building: Art Auction and Exhibition
Gimpel Fils Gallery London
The Discerning Eye Mall Galleries London
1990 Group exhibition with Spanish artists Bird, Casamada, Pijuan, Llados Galeria Joan Prats, New York
USA Southern Arts touring exhibition organised by Winchester Art Gallery,Hampshire
Contemporary Art Society, London
Artists from the Greenwich Studios Greenwich Citizens Gallery, Woolwich
The Broadgate Exhibition, organised by the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
Whitechapel Open Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
1989 Gallery Artists Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery, London Painters at Winchester Winchester art Gallery, Hampshire
The Day Book Exhibition Andrew Jones Art, UK tour
1988 Athena Art Competition (invited artist) Barbican Gallery, London
The Presence of Painting – Aspects of British Abstraction 1957-1988 South Bank Centre UK tour commencing at the Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield (catalogue)
Hommage to the Square Flaxman Gallery London
Eleven Artists Francis Graham-Dixon Gallery London Whitechapel Open The Whitechapel Gallery London The Fuse Gallery, Smithfield, London
The Day Book Exhibition Andrew Jones Art, UK tour
1987 Coastlines Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne Sussex
On a Plate James Hockey Gallery Farnham Surrey and Serpentine Gallery London
Symondsbury Gallery, Dorset Group Exhibition, Cotham, Bristol
1986 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (invited artist), RA Galleries London
1985 Clyde Hopkins and Stephen Cooper Axiom Gallery Cheltenham Gloucestershire
Clyde Hopkins, Richard Rome and Mary Shemilt
Woodlands Art Gallery London
Axiom Review Exhibition Axiom Gallery Cheltenham Gloucestershire
1984 Painters at Winchester – Part 1 Winchester School of Art Gallery Hampshire
Whitechapel Open The Whitechapel Gallery London
Group Exhibition, The Gloria Gallery, Nicosia Cyprus
TSWA Open Exhibition national touring exhibition UK
1983 Whitechapel Open The Whitechapel Gallery London
1982 Clyde Hopkins & David Sweet The John Holden Gallery, Manchester
Drawings The University of Kent, Canterbury
The Opening Exhibition Hull Artists Association Kingston upon Hull Humberside
Five Local Artists The Old Mill Studios, S E London (selected by Tim Jones)
Ten University Art Gallery Reading Berkshire
Artists for CND The Acme Gallery London
Small Works by British Artists IKON Gallery and national tour UK
1981 Painters from the Greenwich Studios Woodlands Art Gallery London
1980 Seven Painters KettleÕs Yard Gallery Cambridge and tour
The Hayward Annual (selected by John Hoyland) Hayward Gallery London (catalogue)
Small Works by Younger British Artists Somerville College Oxford (selected by Jennifer Durrant)
1979 Open Attitudes Museum of Modern Art Oxford (selected by Alister Warman)
1978 Drawing in Action Ferens Art Gallery, Hull Humberside (selected by JohnClark)
Bates, Crowley, Hopkins Winchester Gallery, Winchester School of Art Hampshire
Small Works Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery Newcastle Northumbria
1977 Drawings by Painters and Sculptors Greenwich Theatre Gallery Greenwich London
1976 Drawings and Prints The Aquarius Gallery, Harrogate
1975 Six Artists The Africa Centre London
1974 Four Painters Congress House London
1964 Dryden and Hopkins Gas Showrooms, Barrow in Furness Cumbria
AWARDS
1979 Greater London Arts Association Award
1980 Arts Council of Great Britain Purchase Award
1980 Mark Rothko Travelling Fellowship (USA)
1998 Lorne Award
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2014 Colour Boundary illustrated catalogue essay and notes on paintings Gallery North, Northumbria University, David Sweet
2012 brown madder illustrated catalogue essay Chelsea Futurespace and UAL, Brandon Taylor
Kensington & Chelsea Today March/April :review of brown madder
2012 Indian Yellow interview and video Merston Gallery, W Sussex, Paul Kopecek
2011 Uncaught Hares: Parts 1 and 2 illustrated catalogue essays University of Greenwich, David Waterworth, David Webb
2010 Scratching the Surface illustrated catalogue with text (as in Eton exhibition 2007) Bay Art, Cardiff, Matthew Collings
2009 Northern Print Biennale illustrated catalogue, Newcastle upon Tyne
2008 Same As It Ever Was, Chelsea College of Art, UAL. Curated by Clyde Hopkins with Donald Smith and Eamonn Maxwell.
2007 Scratching the Surface, illustrated catalogue with text by Matthew Collings at Eton College Berkshire
2005 Sea Voices: Contemporary British Painting part 2, Jane Brumfield & the artists, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery Sussex
2002 Contemporary September, Richard Dyer International News
2002 Royal Academy Summer, Exhibition catalogue
2001 British Abstract Painting 2001, Flowers East Gallery London, illustrated catalogue
2001 Life in Art: Photographs by Steve Pyke book – photography and interviews: published by SE Arts, Steve Pyke and SAGA
2001 Portrait of the Artists: Weekend FT 9 June
1998 Vodka, a Stiff Breeze and Paranoia exhibition – The Front, essay, Sacha Craddock, The London Institute (UAL)
1998 Clyde Hopkins Time Out, March, Sue Hubbard
1998 In Sight The London Institute, November
1997 Bonny Old Clyde Hopkins, Highbury & Islington Express, November, Michelle Thomas
1997 Around the Galleries The Times November, Sacha Craddock
1996 The Screen, The Surface and The Future : Issues in Architecture Art & Design, David Sweet, Polemics Vol 4 No 2 1992
1996 Delight illustrated exhibition catalogue with texts May, David Sweet
1995 Art Beat: What’s On : January, Nick Wegner
1994 The Whitechapel Open review The Sunday Telegraph, John McEwen
1994 Graduates of the Central School of Art : The Whitechapel Open, The Independent on Sunday 15 May, Tim Hilton
1994 East End Masters of Projection: the Whitechapel Open review The Independent 18 May, Richard Dorment
1994 Made in Greenwich 1974-1994 The Living Room : catalogue essay, Cuillin Bantock
1994 A Collector Who Backs His own Hunches Independent on Sunday 31 July, Geraldine Norman
1994 A Brush With the Unexpected The Independent on Sunday 14 August, Tim Hilton
1994 Art The Sunday Telegraph 16 October, John McEwen
1994 Arts. The Best of 1994 The Independent on Sunday 18 December, Tim Hilton
1993 Painting for Chemists The Times 13 January
1993 Britische Kunst im Foyer des Bayer-Hochhauses Verschlusselter Kosmos RheinischerPost 16 January, Esther Sculoff
1993 Im Dickicht der Farben KoÕlner-Stadt-Anzeiger 16 January
1993 Contemporary British Art Francis Graham-Dixon gallery with Bayer AG Leverkusen; illustrated catalogue
1992 Critic’s Choice The Sunday Telegraph 1 November, John McEwen
1992 City Limits 20 October, Richard Dyer
1992 London Notes No. 6 CV Journal of the Arts
1992 Rising in the East End The Guardian 25 June, Tim Hilton
1992 The Independent 13 October, Ian Gale
1992 The Royal Academy Magazine, Autumn 1992, Andrew Lambirth
1991 Kunst Europa catalogue contains essays including Clyde Hopkins by Stefan Berg and David Sweet
1990 Notes on Clyde Hopkins Painting 1989-90 Francis Graham Dixon Gallery exhibition catalogue essay, Bryan Robertson
1990 Critic’s Choice The Guardian 19 September, Tim Hilton
1989 The Burlington Magazine May review, Tony Godfrey
1989 Modern Times Manchester Guardian 9 May review, Robert Clark
1989 Time Out 5 April, Robert MacDonald
1989 Arts Review 24 March, Peter Davies
1989 Critic’s Choice The Guardian 22 March, Tim Hilton
1988 Homage to the Square and Fuse Gallery Exhibition, The Guardian, Tim Hilton
1988 The Presence of Painting Mappin Gallery and UK tour:organised by the South bank centre: catalogue essay, Michael Tooby
1987 On a Plate Sunday Times Colour Magazine
1986 Abstract Art Today Arts Review, Peter Davies
1986 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition review Financial Times, William Packer
1982 Artscribe February/March issue review, David Sweet
1982 Clyde Hopkins : Paintings catalogue essay for Rochdale and IKON galleries, Brandon Taylor
1982 The Pitfalls of Liberation Artscribe No 37, David Sweet
1982 Ten University of Reading catalogue, Anna Gruetzner
1981 Reviews I Almost Wrote, Artscribe No 31, Adrian Searle
1981 Tribune, Margaret Richards
1981 Artscribe (Spring Issue), Mark Murphy
1981 Acme Gallery Exhibition Art International (Summer Issue), Edward Lucie- Smith
1979 Open Attitudes Artscribe review, Adrian Searle
1979 Seven Painters artist’s statement and catalogue essay William Packer
1979 Artscribe No 24, John Hoyland interviewed
1979 Aspects review, Peter Fuller
1979 Financial Times review, William Packer
1979 The Observer review, William Feaver
1979 Hayward Annual illustrated catalogue, Tim Hilton and John Hoyland
1979 Open Attitudes MOMA Oxford notes, Alister Warman
1979 Harper's and Queen, profile, Bryan Robertson
1978 Kaleidoscope BBC Radio 4, Serpentine show reviewed, Bryan Robertson
1978 Serpentine Exhibition artist’s statement
1978 Aspects No 3, interview, Jean Fisher
TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL
1987-2016 Member of E A Abbey Council –Scholarships at BSR
1990-2006 Principal Lecturer (Painting) and Professor, Chelsea College of Art & Design University of the Arts London
1988-90 Head of Fine Art, Winchester School of Art
1985-90 Member of the Painting Faculty, British School at Rome
1982-88 Head of Painting, Winchester School of Art
1974-82 Part-time and sessional lecturer at various art colleges and universities including Hull College of Art, Canterbury, University of Reading, Manchester, Newport, etc. Visiting lecturer to many other UK art colleges
External Examiner on post-graduate (MA and MFA) courses include the Royal College of Art, the Slade School (UCL), Winchester (University of Southampton) and Manchester. Undergraduate courses include Nottingham, Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, the Slade School, Cardiff, etc.
EXHIBITION CURATION
2003 colourspace APT gallery, London SE8; 27 contemporary artists including Grenville Davey, Chris Ofili, Noel Forster
2007-08 same as it ever was Artist tutors and ex-students from the Painting course at Chelsea College of Art;