Stuart Pearson Wright's 'Halfboy' Exhibition Explores Donor Conception and Identity

Stuart Pearson Wright, known for his portraiture including a notable painting of J.K. Rowling at the National Portrait Gallery, has shifted focus to his own biography in the exhibition 'Halfboy' at Cambridge's Heong Gallery in 2018. Born in 1975 via anonymous donor insemination, Wright uses the show to confront feelings of failure and the taboo of 'halfness' in his family. The works incorporate mixed media like sheep's wool, zebra wood, and collage, with theatrical staging inspired by eighteenth-century toy theatres and Joseph Cornell. Wright's upcoming projects include a group portrait of the Society of Dilettanti, co-directing Monteverdi's opera 'Combattimento' for the 2020 Snape Maltings festival, and narrative paintings influenced by Pina Bausch. 'Halfboy' is touring UK venues.