The Tate Britain is absolutely delighted to present a major exhibition of the renowned Turner Prize winner Richard Deacon, a wonderful leading British sculptor, best known for his very large, lyrical open forms.

In a career that spans over four decades, Richard Deacon has employed materials that range from leather and laminated wood to polycarbonate, cloth and clay. He works on domestic scales and large scales, combining beautifully organic forms with structural elements of engineering. 

This exhibition at Tate Britain highlights his interest in different materials and their manipulation and management, as in After 1998, a large wooden work where the continuous and looping form balances volume and space. Also, you should particularly note Deacon’s early drawings It’s Orpheus When There’s Singing 1978: a magnificent suite of drawings built up from complex curves that influenced the organic forms of much of his following sculpture, and the very large, green, sixty-part ceramic sculpture Fold 2012.

During his career Deacon has placed plenty of emphasis on language as well as materiality. This imitates a deep-rooted interest that stems from his reading of philosophical, poetic and other texts. Like his infinitely varied and continually evolving work Deacon cannot be pinned down to subject matter or one style, only the principles of draughtsmanship and an emphasis on practical experimentation are constants throughout his successful career, while in that time he has also been lauded as an extremely distinguished writer and educator.

This fantastic exhibition is curated by Clarrie Wallis, Curator with Sofia Karamani, Assistant Curator and it will be accompanied by an inspiring book on the artist by Clarrie Wallis and a series of talks and events in the gallery.