A Painter’s Progress: an exhibition of paintings by Ben Henriques
Clare Hall is delighted to present an exhibition by Ben Henriques, from 19th June to 31st July 2025.
Introduction by Frances Spalding, Chair of the Clare Hall Art Committee
One long-standing tradition in the History of Art is the habit of painting ordinary things. Much loved, in the Fitzwilliam Museum’s collection, is Henri Fantin-Latour’s small painting of a white cup and saucer, with a silver teaspoon, against a dark background. It is almost always on display and reproductions of this picture sell like hot cakes by the dozen. Ben Henriques is likewise a skillful exponent of this genre, bringing a remarkable intensity to simple subjects. But how does he achieve this? This question will be asked by many who come to his exhibition at Clare Hall, on show between 19th June and 31st July. Two things come to the fore: the quality of attention given to his subject matter, and the grip that his handling of paint achieves on canvas, his brush marks veering between the willed and the spontaneous, as if searching for ontological certainty. Yet, his paintings result in recognisable images, but this is not slick photo-realism, but something much more alive and sensuous. Come and experience the effects he creates, for, like Fantin-Latour, his art has both simplicity and depth.
Ben Henriques, born 1967, studied Fine Art at Newcastle University, 1986 to 1990. He currently resides and works in both the West Highlands of Scotland and London. Notable exhibitions have included “Scottish Landscapes” at William Hardie in Glasgow in 1992. He has made many appearances in the National Portrait Gallery’s annual portrait competition, now called the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award. He has also appeared in solo and group exhibitions at the Jonathan Cooper Gallery, Browse & Darby, and Mall Galleries in London. His work has also been featured internationally.