Richard Woods

“Art is as much about design as it is art, and design is as much about art as it is about design.” – Richard Woods

Portrait by Ali Tollervey

“Art is as much about design as it is art, and design is as much about art as it is about design.” – Richard Woods

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Bold, colourful and witty, Richard Woods’ work is instantly identifiable.

Richard Woods is a British contemporary artist known for his distinctive style of creating remarkable installations and sculptures. His subversively- simplified architectural facades, Woods’ accessible, humorous style opens up wider socio-economical debate.

Hackney-based today, Woods was born in 1960s Chester. His memories of a childhood home filled with 'plasticky' colours and garish wallpaper continue to play out in his work. In questioning the UK's obsession with home improvement, he creates impactful graphic design languages of woodgrain, bricks and mock-Tudor pattern. A sculpture graduate from the Slade School of Fine Art, Woods emerged into the YBA scene in 1990. His combination of irreverence and high-modernism has seen him in constant demand ever since.

Artist CV

Major institutions

Some of the institutions where his work is held and exhibited include: Serpentine Gallery, the Saatchi Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cristea Roberts Gallery, and the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

Commissions

Richard has created a number of large-scale installations and sculptures over the years. His commissions can be seen around the world. From the centerpiece project with the Henry Moore Foundation at the 50th International Venice Biennale of Art in 2003, to creating a 2D cartoon house within Southwark Cathedral and major architectural commissions for the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Collaborations

He has also collaborated with fashion designers on a variety of projects, such as Comme des Garçons and Paul Smith. His work has been the subject of numerous essays and articles.