Henry Hudson is a British artist living in London who works across painting, sculpture, ceramics, installation and printmaking. Hudson’s critical practice is expressed through the exploration of various techniques and materials, plasticine, scagliola, oil painting, 3D printing, was, sand and textiles.

Born to a creative family in 1982 in Bath, Hudson’s father is a British sculptor, and his mother is an American chef. Raised in Yorkshire, Hudson’s professional interest in art emerged in his mid-teens. In 2001, Hudson took a foundation course at the Chelsea College of Art before graduating from Central Saint Martins, London, with a BA Honors in 2005.

For the past several years, Hudson has been best known for his distinctive use of plasticine as an artistic medium in the creation of textured paintings. He was initially inspired by School of London artists such as Leon Kossoff and Frank Auerbach, who were known for their works rendered in thick impasto oil paint. He began using plasticine as an economical way to achieve a similar effect to the densely layered paint. As he developed his practice, he soon discovered the theatrical and expressive qualities peculiar to the medium. This offered him an innovative and exciting way to develop his painterly technique, focus on materiality, and passion for gestural expression. It has remained an evolving staple of Hudson's practice.

Hudson’s work thematically covers much ground, from exploring social stereotypes to satirizing the madness of contemporary life. His scenes are often theatrical and, at first glance, appear playful, yet this humor masks a darker picture that reveals a grotesque and depraved version of humanity. Scattered throughout the works are references to contemporary political affairs, the idols of consumerism, and obscene products of salacious desire. Hudson depicts a world that, at first glance, seems trapped in the depth of hedonistic excess. However, closer inspection reveals glimpses of hope and reminders of the fundamentals that keep us grounded in a deeper level of reality.

The unconventional use of plasticine as a medium is particularly effective in Hudson’s “Jungle” series (2015-2023), for which the artist is best known, and which has been exhibited around the world. The thickness of the material seems to convey the weight of humid tropical climates and dense vegetation. In this new series of paintings, "At Some Point In Time", Hudson continues to use his unique plasticine technique, creating rich textures and vibrant colors that give his works a three-dimensional, sculptural quality. The difference with the “Jungle” series lies in the landscapes and subject matters depicted, the process of creating the initial compositions, and the inspirations behind them.

Hudson has had numerous solo and group shows, and his work is collected by notable figures such as Robert Hiscox, Marc Quinn, Jay Jopling, Katrin Henkel, Mario Testino, Tommy Hilfiger, and Peter Gabriel.

Selected Solo Shows:

2025 - Upcoming

Galerie Kandlhofer, Vienna, Austria (date to be confirmed)

Unit London, London, UK (date to be confirmed))

2024

“Sanctuary Room: Cave of the Mind”, Palo Gallery, New York, USA

2023

“Painting with Sculpture: Reflections on the State of the Nature”, Unit London, London, UK

2022

“Shanti”, Unit London, London, UK

“Ontological Spherescapes”, Palo Gallery, New York, USA

“Scapes”, Unit London, London, UK

2021

“Henry Hudson: Microcosm”, Online viewing room from Simon de Pury’s Instagram account along with physical exhibitions in the artist studio, London, UK

2020

“Pathway”, Galerie Kandlhofer, Vienna, Austria

“At Some Point of Time”, Galerie Isa, Mumbai, India

2019

“Henry Hudson: Nothing Sticks to Nothing”, Hannah Barry Gallery, London, UK

2018

“Henry Hudson: Jungles”, Albion Barn & Fields, Oxfordshire, UK

2017

“Sun City Tanning”, Carl Kostyál, London, UK

2016

“Sun City Tanning”, Sotheby’s S|2 gallery, New York, USA

Selected Group Shows:

2024

“AI & Technology Influence on Contemporary Art”, curated by Virginia Damtsa at Gabriel Scott’s showroom, London, UK

“The Hudsons, Family Ties”, Claridge’s ArtSpace, London, UK

2023

“ART021 Shanghai Contemporary”, Art Fair – Unit London, Shanghai, China

“Ten: A Decade of Unit”, Unit London, London, UK

“Eye of the Collector”, Art Fair at Two Temple Place, London, UK

“London Calling”, Unit London, London, UK

2022

“Manscaping”, The Hole, New York and Los Angeles, USA

“Summer Show”, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

“In The Round”, Unit London, London, UK

2021

“Nature Morte”, The Hole, New York, USA

“Rites of Passage”, Unit London, London, UK

2020

“Inspiration – Iconic Works”, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm , Sweden

“The Eternity Exhibition”, The Painting Rooms, London, UK

2019

“Multiples”, Bridgeman Editions, London, UK

2018

“Tom Hammick x Henry Hudson: Isolated Exteriors”, Bridgeman Editions, London, UK

“New Work Part II: Material”, Cob Gallery, London, UK

2017

“Summer Show”, Carl Kostyál, Stockholm, Sweden

“I Lost My Heart To Starship Trooper”, Griffin Gallery, London, UK

2016

“Naturalia”, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, USA

These three paintings are from a new series of sculpted paintings, "At Some Point In Time", which continues Hudson's exploration of nature, dreams, and travel—themes also present in his successful "Jungle" series (2015–2023). Through the lens of British surrealism, Hudson studies the concept of animism, drawing inspiration from his travels in Papua New Guinea and Africa, where he encountered spiritual practices expressed through dance, costume, and ceremony. Using advanced technology, Hudson creates compositions that intertwine nature and dreams. He employs AI and personal photography to sketch his visions, which he then masterfully sculpts in plasticine (a blend of petroleum jelly, chalk, pigment, and calcium salts). The resulting works blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture, reality and dreams, and explore the intricate relationship between humans and nature.