Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures Symposium

A one-day symposium exploring the life, work and influence of British sculptor, photographer and installation artist Helen Chadwick (1953 -1996).

The conference will draw on, and respond to, our landmark retrospective exhibition and accompanying major publication, and is generously supported by a grant from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Helen Chadwick was an iconic figure of Britain’s postwar avant-garde, known for her innovative, multidisciplinary practice, pioneering feminist approach, and influence on the ‘Young British Artists’ generation. Despite her significant role in British and international art history, attention to her work declined following her unexpected death in 1996, and she has since been notably underserved in terms of critical and art historical engagement.

The symposium, in concert with our exhibition and publication, aims to correct this. It will chart the full development of Chadwick’s artistic language, as well as her contributions, impact and value to the landscape of British and international art history. With a continued aim to merge art and life, it will bring together a diverse array of speakers and panellists, many of whom knew Chadwick personally, including expert contributors to our publication and significant artists who were influenced by her.