Wilfrid Wood (artist)

{{Infobox artist

| name = Wilfrid Wood

| birth_place = London

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1968}}

| style = Sculptor, illustrator

| image = Wilfrid Wood artist.jpg

}}

Wilfrid Wood (born 1968) is a London-based artist working in various mediums and specialising in portraiture.{{Cite web |last=Zetteler |date=2018-08-03 |title=Wilfrid Wood: Drawing People |url=https://medium.com/zetteler/wilfrid-wood-drawing-people-e253e5759018 |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Zetteler |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Cooper |first=James |date=2021-08-10 |title=Opinion {{!}} Love Means Drawing Your Boyfriend 1,000 Times |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/10/opinion/drawings-of-my-bf-love.html |access-date=2023-07-22 |issn=0362-4331}} He trained in graphics at Central St Martins before building latex heads for satirical TV programme, Spitting Image.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-05 |title=Sculpture of Liz Truss with forehead which 'stands out' has people in hysterics |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/liz-truss-sculpture-london-hackney-paul-mccartney-b2160172.html |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=The Independent |language=en}}

Early life and education

Born in London, Wood was raised in rural Sussex surrounded by a family of artists, including his father John Norris Wood, who was a natural history illustrator.{{Cite news |last=Deighton |first=Len |date=2015-11-08 |title=John Norris Wood obituary |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/nov/08/john-norris-wood |access-date=2023-07-22 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Parpis |first=Eleftheria |date=2019-07-08 |title=The Many Faces of Sculptor Wilfrid Wood |url=https://magenta.as/the-many-faces-of-sculptor-wilfrid-wood-111accbc0bff |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Medium |language=en}} He graduated from Central St Martins with a degree in graphic design.{{Cite book |last=FL@33 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N_UgEAAAQBAJ&dq=wilfrid+wood+central+st+martins&pg=PT458 |title=The 3D Type Book |date=2011-04-04 |publisher=Quercus |isbn=978-1-78067-489-6 |language=en}}

Career

Wood began his career in publishing, designing layouts for encyclopaedias. Bored by the work, he applied for a job as a “head builder” on the satirical TV programme Spitting Image, making eyeball mechanisms for the puppets of public figures.{{Cite web |title=Plasticine satirist Wilfrid Wood on finding your voice and why it's… |url=https://www.creativelivesinprogress.com/article/wilfrid-wood |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Creative Lives in Progress |language=en}}

Using many mediums including polymer clay and plasticine, Wood’s candid portraits depict everyday themes from politicians to sportsmen, from musicians to celebrities with the occasional dog walker for good measure.{{Cite web |date=2019-09-12 |title=The art of Wilfrid Wood |url=https://mickstatham.com/art/the-art-of-wilfrid-wood/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Michael Statham contemporary landscape artist |language=en-US}} His work has been featured in different magazines, shows and exhibitions.{{Cite web |title=Wilfrid Wood {{!}} Metal Magazine |url=https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/wilfrid-wood-sculpting-a-new-era |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=metalmagazine.eu}} In 2021, he designed BEEF! is a simple card game for two or more players published by Rough Trade Books.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3df_zgEACAAJ |title=BEEF! THE GUIDE-WILFRID WOOD. |date=2021 |publisher=Rough Trade Books |isbn=978-1-914236-08-2 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Westall |first=Mark |date=2021-08-24 |title=Rough Trade Books has releases The 'ART' Series featuring The White Pube, Wilfrid Wood, Robert Rubbish & Babak Ganjei |url=https://fadmagazine.com/2021/08/24/rough-trade-books-has-releases-the-art-series-featuring-the-white-pube-wilfrid-wood-robert-rubbish-babak-ganjei/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=FAD Magazine |language=en-GB}}

Wood works out of his studio in Hackney Wick and holds various sculpting workshops.{{Cite web |author1=Ella Taylor |date=2017-09-18 |title=What you need to know about Something Good |url=https://www.creativebloq.com/news/what-you-need-to-know-about-something-good |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Creative Bloq |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-07-20 |title=Discover a 'creative labyrinth' at Hackney WickED DIY Open Studios |url=https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2016/07/20/hackney-wicked-2016-diy-open-studios/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Hackney Citizen |language=en-GB}}

List of exhibitions

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Country Life, solo exhibition at at Frmd, London, 2023{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Megan |date=2023-04-28 |title=Wilfrid Wood's drawings offer a dose of rural idyll |url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/wilfrid-wood-country-life/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Creative Review |language=en-UK}}

Group exhibition at the Royal Watercolour Society, 2023{{Cite web |title=Wilfrid Wood {{!}} RWS Open |url=https://www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk/exhibitions/54/works/a85907972376f6/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Royal Watercolour Society |language=en}}

Hampstead Art Society, group show, London, 2023

Green & Stone, group show, London, 2023{{Cite web |title=Wilfrid Wood — Blog 2 |url=https://www.thegalleryatgreenandstone.com/summer-exhibition-23-online-catalogue/tag/Wilfrid+Wood |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=The Gallery at Green & Stone |language=en-GB}}

Diving Deep, group exhibition at the University of Kent, 2023{{Cite web |title=Studio 3 Gallery – University of Kent |url=https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/studio3gallery/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |language=en-US}}

Funny Ha Ha! Group exhibition at Maddox Gallery, London, 2022

These Cartoons are a Work Event, group show Cartoon Museum, London, 2022

Virile, group show, House of St Barnabas, London 2022

People, solo exhibition, Copeland Gallery, London, 2021{{Cite web |title=People |url=https://www.copelandpark.com/events/16121/people/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Copeland Park & Bussey Building |language=en-GB}}

Royal Academy Summer show, London, 2021

Rude Assembly, group show, Australia, 2021

Drawings of my BF, solo show, Studio 59, London, 2019{{Cite web |title=Wilfrid Wood's new book collects charming and cheeky drawings of his boyfriend Theo |url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/wilfrid-wood-drawings-of-my-bf-art-130509 |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=www.itsnicethat.com |language=en}}

Group Show, Alan Kluckow Fine Art, Ascot, 2018

Drawing People, solo exhibition at Space Gallery, Hackney, 2018{{Cite web |date=2018-07-19 |title=Drawing People: Wilfrid Wood takes a fresh creative direction with his new show |url=https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/wilfrid-wood-drawing-people/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Creative Boom |language=en}}

Pink, group show, Colette, Paris, 2018

Royal Academy Summer show, London, 2018

Solo show, Volume Gallery, Berlin, 2016

Olympic Portraits, solo exhibition, 2016{{Cite web |title=Heroes and Villains: Rio 2016 through the eyes of Wilfrid Wood |url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/rio-2016-wilfrid-wood-sculptures-260816 |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=www.itsnicethat.com |language=en}}

Pop Living, group show, Schwartz Gallery, 2015

Futagotamagawa biennale, Japan, 2015

Dog Show, solo show, Beach Gallery, London, 2014{{Cite web |last=Murrell |first=Vanessa |date=2022-02-04 |title=Interview with artist Wilfrid Wood |url=https://dateagle.art/wilfrid-wood-interview/ |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=DATEAGLE ART |language=en-GB}}

KK Outlet, solo show, London, 2013{{Cite web |title=KK OUTLET GALLERY 2013 |url=https://www.kesselskramer.com/project/kk-outlet-gallery-2/kk-outlet-gallery-2013 |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=KesselsKramer |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hartman |first=Stephanie |date=2018-01-19 |title=A much loved east London gallery is closing after ten years in the game |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/a-much-loved-east-london-gallery-is-closing-after-ten-years-in-the-game-011918 |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Time Out London |language=en-GB}}

Chisenhale Gallery, group show, London, 2012

Object Abuse, group show, KK Outlet, London 2011

Somerset House, group show, London, 2011

La Scatola, group show, London, 2011

Solo Show, Sang Sang Madang, South Korea, 2010

Lulubell Toy Bodega, group show, Tucson, Arizona, 2008

SEA 2 The Wig Has Gone Out, group show, London, 2006

Being Hunted, group show, Berlin, 2006

SEA 1, Normal, group show, London, 2004