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Biography 

 

Rachel Nicholson was born in 1934, one of triplets, to the artists Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. The family moved from Hampstead to St Ives, Cornwall in 1939. Rachel had no formal training and started painting in her early 40s after her youngest child started school. She married the Alzheimer’s researcher Dr Michael Kidd; and has three children. ​

Rachel began her career with still life compositions, which developed over the years into a range of landscape images from Cumbria, Derbyshire and the West Country where she spent most of her childhood. The arrangement of objects, whether within her compositions or outside them, particularly in her home, is equally important. Rachel inherited her love of still-life objects from her farther Ben Nicholson, and he from his father William Nicholson. 

'My Paintings are a way of trying to bring a sense of peace, and the hope that this will be extended to the viewer'

 

Nicholson has had many gallery and museum exhibitions, more recently at the Newlyn Art Gallery, The Stoneman Gallery and at Caroline Wiseman Modern and Contemporary. Numerous works by the artist have been sold at auction, including 'Still life with Spoon and Jug' sold at Christie's South Kensington 'Twentieth Century British Art' in 2002.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

 

2016|Rachel Nicholson, Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall

2014 |Retrospective, Caroline Wiseman at the London Art Fair, Bussiness Design Centre, Islington, London 

2013 |Rachel Nicholson, Stoneman Gallery, Cornwall UK 

2006 |Caroline Wiseman Modern Art

2001|Lynne Strover Gallery, Cambridgeshire

2000|Montpelier Sandelson, London

1997|Montpelier Sandelson, London  

1994|Montpelier Studio, London  

1991|Montpelier Studio, London  

1990|Takanawa Gallery, Tokyo

1988|Montpelier Studio, London  

1985|Montpelier Studio, London  

1982|Montpelier Studio, London 

1980|Rachel Nicholson Dartington Years 1945 - 1952, Dartington Gallery

1980|First London Solo, Montpelier Studio 

1979|First Solo Show at Field Gallery, Farnsfield Nottinghamshire

Selected Group Exhibitions

2016 |Breon O'Casey & Rachel Nicholson, Stoneman Gallery, Madron, Cornwall 

2015|Winter Print Fair, The Exchange, Penzance, Cornwall

2014|Stoneman Gallery, London

2013|Business Centre, Islington, London 

2012|Royal College of Art, Kensington, London 

2007|Family Garden Exhibition, Elizabeth Page Smith Gallery, Venice, California, USA

2006|Art Miami Art Fair USA (via Lemon Street Gallery)

2006|Thompson's, Marylebone

2006|Lemon Street Gallery, Truro

2005|London Arts Fair

2005|Caroline Wiseman Modern Art - St Ives to Newlyn 

2005|Show tour to Eton College

2005|Glyndebourne Gallery

2005|Fine Art Design and Antiques, Olympia 

2005|Belgrave Gallery

2005|Thompsons's, The City Gallery, London

2004|New Academy Gallery, 'Still Life' 

2004| Art London

2004| British Arts Fair

2004|Caroline Wiseman Modern Art, Nicholsons: A Vital Simplicity; Four Generations of the Nicholson Family. 

2004|Thompson's, The City Gallery, London

2003|Caroline Wiseman Modern Art, Principal Artist, London 

2003|Lynne Strover Gallery, Cambridgeshire  

2003|British Art Fair, Commonwealth Institute 

2003|Lemon Street Gallery, Truro, Cornwall 

2000-05|Belgrave Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall 

2000-2004|Thompson's, Marylebone, London

1998-1999|Tate Gallery St Ives, Cornwall 

1998-99|Tate Gallery St Ives - Century of Images

1997-98|20th Century British Art Fair 

1997|New Academy Gallery

1996|Dartington Arts Gallery 

1995|New Academy Gallery, Cornwall 

1993|New Academy Gallery, Curwen Chilford Prints

1993-98 Art Fair Business Centre, Islington, London

1989|City Gallery, Leicester

1983|Crane Kalman - The Nicholsons

1981- 83|Bath Contemporary Arts Fair

1982|Beaux Arts, Bath - Two Generations 

1981|Milton Keynes

1976-1999|Wills Lane Gallery St Ives, Cornwall UK

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