Thomas Houseago

About

Houseago is one of the most significant sculptors working today, known for his often monumental works inspired by pop culture and film as well as styles from Classicism to Cubism. Using wood, clay, hessian, plaster and bronze, Houseago creates work that is raw and visceral, and a reminder of the power of figurative art. His work demonstrates an interest in traditional materials and techniques, while being completely contemporary in feel. The sculptures retain an unfinished appearance, with remnants of the making process often visible, from indentations of the artist's tools to exposed metal rods. The exhibition contains a selection of works from bronzes to more fragile plaster pieces, showing the variety of the artist's practice. The sculptures on display resonate with many of the works in the Sainsbury Centre's collections, with reference points from the tradition of modernist artists including Jacob Epstein and Henry Moore and links to the world art collection. Born in Leeds in 1972, Houseago lives and works in Los Angeles. His work has been shown in two recent solo exhibitions: The Beat of the Show at Inverleith House, Edinburgh and What Went Down in Germany, France and the UK.