British sculptor Anish Kapoor is the subject of a major mid-career retrospective at the Hayward Gallery in London, marking his return to the Southbank institution three decades after his first major solo exhibition there, according to exhibition schedules. Born in Bombay to Indian and Jewish parents and based in London since the 1970s, Kapoor rose to prominence as part of the New British Sculpture movement in the 1980s.
Return to the Southbank After Three Decades
Trapping Light With Vantablack
According to exhibition guides, the Hayward Gallery exhibition is structured around three distinct bodies of work, beginning with pieces utilizing Vantablack. This material absorbs light rather than reflecting it, trapping beams within a microscopic tube forest where light is repeatedly refracted before being dissipated as heat.
When viewed straight on, three-dimensional sculptures coated in the substance can appear as flat black circles, creating optical effects that draw reactions from gallery visitors.
Monumental Red Hues and Himalayan Echoes
The second major group features monumental works rendered in striking red hues, displayed across the concrete interiors of the gallery.
Having spent his early childhood in the mountainous region near the Himalayas, Kapoor incorporates themes of nature, human scale, and ritualistic awe into these imposing physical forms.
Polished Steel Mirrors Modern London
The third grouping highlights Kapoor’s widely recognized polished stainless steel sculptures, which distort reflections of their surrounding environments. For this iteration, according to the Hayward Gallery, two reflective works have been installed on the venue’s outdoor rooftop.
Set against the heavily redeveloped Southbank district—which has transformed significantly since the millennium with the addition of the London Eye and contemporary architecture—the stainless steel structures mirror the shifting urban landscape and temporal context of modern London.