Gladys Hynes: Forgotten British Artist Gets First Retrospective at Charleston

The exhibition titled 'Gladys Hynes: Radical Lives' is set to debut at Charleston in Lewes on May 2, 2026, and will continue until October 11. Curated by Sacha Llewellyn, the showcase revives the extensive five-decade journey of Gladys Hynes (1888–1958), a versatile figure in the early 20th-century British avant-garde who has largely been overlooked in art history. Hynes represented the UK at the 1924 Venice Biennale, collaborated with Roger Fry at the Omega Workshops, and illustrated a special edition of Ezra Pound's Cantos. Despite her accolades, including multiple awards and Biennale selection, only one of her works—'Crucifixion' (1939)—is held in a British public collection. The exhibition features 120 pieces, with 40 by Hynes alongside her contemporaries. Four artworks, such as 'The Fowler' (c. 1917–19) and a portrait of her sister Sheelah by Dod Procter, will be loaned from the Wolfsonian in Florida, where the exhibition will travel next year. Llewellyn suggests that some antisemitic and racist themes in Hynes's works may have contributed to her obscurity, aiming to spark discussions about her political views and those of her contemporaries.