Diane Simpson's First European Museum Show at Nottingham Contemporary Explores Gender Through Sculpture

From February 8 to May 3, 2020, Nottingham Contemporary will host Diane Simpson's inaugural museum exhibition in Europe. This showcase includes her sculptures, drawings, and prints created between 1976 and 2014, reflecting her artistic evolution that began in the mid-1970s at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her creative process begins with axonometric sketches on graph paper, which are then transformed into three-dimensional forms, such as Samurai 10 (1983). Influenced by artists like Eva Hesse and Richard Artschwager, her work often references clothing and domestic themes, exemplified by the Apron series (2000–05). Pieces like Court Lady (1985) merge elements of historical attire with armor, while Simpson's career, often overshadowed by motherhood, critiques societal notions of femininity.