Jimmy Wright's 'After the War' Flower Paintings Open at Thomas Dane Gallery, London
From September 4 to October 1, 2026, the Thomas Dane Gallery in London will host a five-week showcase of Jimmy Wright's floral artwork, titled "After the War." This exhibition, organized in collaboration with Chicago's Corbett vs. Dempsey, highlights oils and pastels created from 1992 onwards. Born in Union City, Tennessee, in 1944, Wright studied at The Art Institute of Chicago before relocating to New York City in 1974. Following his partner Ken Nuzzo's AIDS diagnosis in 1988, he began his floral series, "Flowers for Ken," characterized by its thick, sculptural paint. His creations are seen as "portraits of the artistic community lost to the pandemic," with significant works like Sun and Shadow (1999–2001). More details can be found at jimmywrightartist.com.
Key facts
- "After the War" runs September 4 to October 1, 2026, at Thomas Dane Gallery, 11 Duke Street, St James's, London SW1.
- The five-week exhibition is presented with Chicago gallery Corbett vs. Dempsey and features flower paintings in oil and pastel from 1992 onward.
- Jimmy Wright was born in Union City, Tennessee, in 1944, grew up in rural Kentucky, studied at The Art Institute of Chicago and moved to New York City in 1974.
- Wright began painting flowers in 1988 after his partner Ken Nuzzo was diagnosed with AIDS; the first series was "Flowers for Ken."
- Thomas Dane Gallery describes the works as "portraits of the artistic community lost to the pandemic."
- Wright calls his flower paintings "Trojan Horses," memento mori about loss, survival and memory.
- Sun and Shadow (1999–2001; oil on canvas, 96×72) took over three years to make and originated as a diptych of flower-basket paintings.
- In Pastel Journal (February 2019), Wright said technique applied rigidly "suffocates the art" and "has to come out of the search for art."
Entities
Artists
- Jimmy Wright
- Ken Nuzzo
Institutions
- Thomas Dane Gallery
- Corbett vs. Dempsey
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Pastel Journal
- Artists Network
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Chicago
- United States
- Union City
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- New York City