ABOUT POLLY HOPE


Polly Hope is an artist, designer and writer. She lives in a converted brewery in Spitalfields, London. Spitalfields, the oldest suburb in London, is a block away from London's City, the throbbing financial 'Square Mile' as it is known. She shares her studio/house with four dogs, two cats, a parrot and a dozen chickens - not to mention many friends, helpers and assistants. She also has a house on the Greek island of Rhodos, the best place to conceive work and get a suntan.

Polly Hope works in many different mediums and she feels the difficult part of being an artist is making good art. Techniques can be learned, art cannot!

No project is too large or too small. Polly Hope's largest artwork to date is a mural 1400 m² at London's Barbican Centre and her smallest fits a matchbox.

Polly Hope likes to work closely with her clients as she feels it can be great help to have several heads on the job. She is often asked to do work not conceived of before and such challenges are considered the spice of life.

Polly Hope has traveled widely to carry out commissions and clients often visit from all over the world to see her Spitalfields studio. Polly Hope offers murals, fountains, ecclesiastical vestments, ceramics, jewellery, portraits, embroidery, bronzes, terra cottas and marble. She can design you a bathroom or a mansion, a mousehole or a city. She can paint your favourite scene, your children or your favourite pet. She can design an opera or a wedding dress. Just think of an idea and Polly Hope will make it!




CURRICULM VITAE

 

Born in Colchester, England and brought up in Wales. Heatherey's art School. Chelsea Polytechnic. Slade School of Art. Divides each year between studios in Spitalfields London and Lindos Greece.

 
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
 
1958 EDUCATION SCHOOLS, Oxford
1968 GALERIA VISMARA, Milan
1974 PATRICK SEALE Gallery, London
  WARWICK ARTS TRUST Gallery, Warwick
  FROME, Somerset
  IRIS CLERT Gallery, Paris
1976 THE BRITISH COUNCIL GALLERY, Athens
  THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS, London
  THE WYVERN ARTS CENTRE, Swindon
1977 KORNBLEE GALLERY, New York
1978 UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY, Albany, New York
  NORTON GALLERY, Palm Beach, Florida
1979 REDFERN GALLERY, London
 

GALERIE B14, Stuttgart
 

TO TRITO MATI GALLERY, Athens
1980 ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE, London
  SARAH CABELL MASSEY GALLERY, Dallas, Texas
  AUSTRALIAN GALLERIES, Melbourne, Australia
1982 WARWICK ARTS TRUST GALLERY, London
  AUSTRALIAN GALLERIES, Melbourne, Australia
  MACQUARIE GALLERY, Sydney, Australia
1984 ORIEL GALLERY, Wales
1985 VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM, London
1987 GALLERY AZUL, GUADALAJARA, Mexico
  BRATTINGA GALLERY, Amsterdam
1988 LEINSTER FINE ART, London; MEXICO
  LEINSTER FINE ART, London; WORKS FOR THE CHURCH
  CHICAGO ART FAIR, one person show
  SOUTH BANK ART CENTRE, London; GIANT CLICHES
1990 YORK MUSEUM
  NORWICH CATHEDRAL
  HENLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
1993 TURRET Bookshop, Covent Garden
1995 BARBICAN CENTRE, London
1998 TODI, Italy; LONDON and NICOSIA Cyprus, SPACES AND PLACES
   
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
   
1951 THE YOUNG CONTEMPORARIES, London
1955 THE LEICESTER GALLERY, London
1956 ARTHUR JEFFRIES GALLERY, London
1958 THE JOHN MOORES EXHIBITION, Liverpool
1974 TOWARDS CERAMIC SCULPTURE, Oxford Gallery, Oxford

1977

 EIGHT INTERNATIONAL TAPESTRY BIENALE, Municipal Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland
1977 GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION, Lisbon, Portugal
1978 WHITECHAPEL GALLERY, London. Open Exhibition
1979 THE MAPPIN GALLERY, Sheffield
  The WALKER ART GALLERY, Liverpool, the craft of art
1983

 EDWARD LUCIE SMITH, 50th BIRTHDAY CHOIUCE, Leinster Fine Art, London
  FRANCOIS de LOUVILLE Gallery, London
  CENTRE CULTUREL MILANO, Italy. CARA BRIGITTE, Celebration of Brigitte Bardot
1984 ROYAL ACADEMY Summer show
1985 WHITECHAPEL GALLERY, London. Open Exhibition
1987 R.I.B.A., London: Art and Architecture Exhibition
1988 ART LA'88, Los Angeles, U.S.A. Invited as representative British Artist
1990 ST. PAULS'S CATHEDRAL, London: exhibition of church embroideries
1992

 THE SOUTH BANK CENTRE, ARTS & CRAFTS TO AVANT-GARDE
ROYAL ACADEMY Summer show
1993 ROYAL ACADEMY Summer show
  CLEVELAND DRAWING BIENALE
   
 COMMISIONS, WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITION DESIGN
   
1975

 PENGUIN BOOKS, designed Puffin Books Exhibition at Commonwealth Institute, London
1980 THE THAMES, Eurocentre, London: quilted wall hanging
1981 SARABHAI STUDIOS, Ahmedabad, India: textile works
  BRONZE DRINKING FOUNTAIN, Hyde Park, London (with Theo Crosby) celebrating 'YEAR OF THE CHILD'
1982


 COMMEMORATIVE ROBE FOR THE QUEEN OF HOLLAND made with students of Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, to commemorate the Academy's Tercentenary
  BRONZE DRINKING FOUNTAIN, Cwmbram, Gwent, (with Theo Crosby)
  Australian Crafts Council, WORKSHOP TOUR, Australia
  THE WAY THROUGH THE WOODS, IBM Headquarters, London: batik
  Worked in Sri Lanka on Textile projects
  DAI AND MYFANWEY, Cwmbram Town Centre, Gwent: over life size sculptures, working by barometric pressure
1984

MAX LAACK, Mönchengladbach, Germany: fabric and dress designs. Finished book on TEXTILE ARTS
  THE CREATION and THE GARDEN OF EDEN: THE SPITALFIELDS
  HANGINGS, made with sixty parishioners of Christchurch, Spitalfields, London
  FLORA AND FAUNA, Sainsbury's, Cwmbran, Gwent: tile mural
1985 WHITSTABLE FRONTAL, All Saints, Whitstable, Kent: four-sided frontal
  NEW TIMBER FRONTAL, New Timber Church, Sussex
  SIR ROY STRONG, VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM, London: wax and textile portrait
  WHITBREADS Brewers: stained glass windows and enamelled pub signs
  NORWICH CATHEDRAL, Spitalfields Hangings
  THE LADY REILLY: portrait
1986

 NMB BANK HEADQUARTERS, Amsterdam, Holland: wall paintings and hand-painted furnishing fabrics
  ITN BANK, Grosvenor Street, London: murals and chandelier
  DRESSES, for staff for Insurance Company, London
  CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL, Whitstable frontal
  EASTER COPE, designed and realised for the vicar of Buxton, Derbyshire
1987 GIANT CLICHES: fabric sculptures
  CHURCHILL HOTEL, London: murals and carpet designs for restaurant
  LUTON SHOPPING CENTRE: painted columns
  MR MALCOLM SINGER: portrait
  MASTER ANTHEMOS GEORGIADES: portrait
  BERN BEAR, Bern, Switzerland: growing monument to celebrate 800th Anniversary of Bern's foundation
  KORNFELD, Bern, Switzerland: life size fibreglass lion
  LOVE STORY, for Royal Academy, London: photographic book
1988 MR GEORGE BENJAMIN: portrait
  MEMORIAL WINDOW, for novelist Richard Hughes, Ynys, Wales
  CELIA JOHNSON THEATRE, London: hand dyed and painted theatre curtain
  CONDE NAST, New York: topographical drawings of Turkey
  LORD MAYOR'S SHOW, London: designed Globe float
  MR TRISTRAM CARY: Portrait
1989 POLICE MONUMENT  The Mall, London: drawings
  THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE, Inter Artes: video
  MR KOSTAS LIGNOS: portrait
  MR JULES LUBBOCK: portrait
  MISS TABATA POTTS: portrait
  MR CHRISTODOULOS GEORGIADES: portrait
  MISS HO WAI ON: portrait
  BRITISH HIGH COMMISION, Dhaka, Bangladesh:designs for wall hangings and terra-cotta panels
1990


 BRITISH HIGH COMMISION RESIDENCE, Dhaka, Bangladesh:embroidered mural and terra-cotta high relief mural made in workshops in Dhaka
  LIFE OF THE VIRGIN, St. Peter & St. Paul, Borden, Kent: embroidered frontal
  ROYAL ACADEMY, Piccadilly, London: wall painting for restaurant
1991

LIFE OF SAINT JOHN, St. Augustine, Scaynes Hill, Sussex: design for tapestry for whole east end of church
  UNILEVER HOUSE, London: carpet designs
  Professor THEO CROSBY R.A: portrait
  ORDINATION STOLE for The Reverend Jonathan Greener
  MISS LAURA WILLIAMS
  SCOTTISH WIDOWS INSURANCE, London: hand painted banners for Atrium at 60 London Wall
  INTERNATIONAL SHAKESPEARE GLOBE CENTRE, London:
  Bronze Sculpture of Midsummer Night's Dream
1992 MULTIVEST ROTTERDAM. Animated sculptures for clock in PLAZA
  EMBROIDERED FUNERAL STOLE for Rev Jonathan Greener
  DESIGN FOR NEEDLEWORK WALL HANGING for new GLOBE Theatre Southwark
  SCROLLS DYED AND PAINTED for SEAFORT TOWER Tokyo.
  Covering 23 floors
  BARBICAN CENTRE preparation for designs, for foyer mural. Also preparation of enamelled folding panels for Barbican centre entrance
  MOSCOW, invited guest lecturer at Institute of Architecture
  QUEEN'S EXHIBITION AT THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, London: Colour consultant and textile environment designer
1993 SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE, Bankside London, design consultant
  BARBICAN ART'S CENTRE art works and design for refurbishment due for completion 1994. Carpets, leather work, bronzes for lights
  EMBROIDERED STOLE for London prelate
  MR ROLF GELHAAR portrait
  GEOFFREY ALVAREZ portrait
  MRS LYN WILLIAMS portrait
  ICON of St. Therese for reverend Greener
  ICON of St. Anthony of Padua for St. Matthew at the Elephant & Castle London
1994 Designed interior of new theatre for SPITALFIELDS MARKET OPERA
  Designed MILLENNIUM CHAPEL for South Bank, London
  This won a major architectural prize
  Painted 1.400 m2 pointillist mural in BARBICAN ARTS CENTRE. London
  Design of carpets and light fittings for BARBICAN CENTRE
  Painted sliding entrance doors for BARBICABN CENTRE
1995

 BEARS, fountain with five blue and gilded life size bears for Kornfeld Bern Switzerland
1996

 Maquettes for entrance Sculptures for SHAKESPEAR'S GLOBE, Othello & Hamlet
  Decorations for masque at SHAKESPEAR'S GLOBE
  Drawings for 2m x 25m ceramic mural for SHAKESPEAR'S GLOBE
  Commemorative bowls and caskets for SHAKESPEAR'S GLOBE
1997

 SHAKESPEAR'S GLOBE. Ceramic mural, 1.50m x 20m plus four corner sculptures for the Globe site
  Proposal work for atrium for Scottish Widows Edinburgh
  Commenced work on PLACES show for Extra Moenia
  Large cut metal mirror for collection Kornfeld Bern Switzerland
  Design work for SHAKESPEAR'S GLOBE London
  PORTRAIT OF MR ALAN WILLIAMS as Prospero
2007

AN INDIAN BESTIARY.  Paintings of Indian Animals. Indar Pashricha Fine Arts, London
 

Logo for THE SWAN AT SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE restaurant.

 
   
 LITERATURE, MUSIC, THEATRE
   
1969 Three novels published by Michael Joseph, London
1973 Screenplay for Alberto Lattuada, film director, Italy
1986 MACBETH, New British Shakespeare Company: costumes and sets
1988 FREEDOM OR DEATH: book and libretto
1989 FREEDOM OR DEATH. Act 1: recorded Berlin
  DIONYSIAN RITES : book and libretto
1990

 Illustrations for Odysseus Elytis' SONG OF HEROIC MOURNING, for Anglo Hellenic Society
1991 JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, libretto and music
  'MEMORIES MEMORIES': a play for 2500th anniversary of the founding of democracy
1992

 Song cycle, 'SONGS MY PARROT TAIUGHT ME', with music by Geoffrey Alvarez
  Song cycle 'A BAKERS DOZEN OF GREEK FOLK SONGS', music by Constantine Lignos
  Costume design for 'MEMORIES MEMORIES'
1993 progenitor of SPITALFIELDS AMRKET OPERA
  C.D. OF LINDIAN FOLK SONGS and SONGS MY PARROT TAUGHT ME, together with publication of the illustrated poems
  PUCELL ROOM, South Bank London, production of A BAKERS DOZEN OF GREEK FOLK SONGS & SONGS MY PARROT TAUGHT ME. Also design for the costumes and backdrops
  Wrote 'GENERAL HUGHIE SAY 'TANKS FOR THE MEMORY' a play with music
  Translated 'THE PROPOSAL; by Chekhov, produced and designed it, music by Geoffrey Westley
1994 Designed graphics for SPITALFIELDS MARKET OPERA
1995

 Animated Film 'MEMORIES MEMORIES' a celebration of 2500 years of Democracy for the Leventis Foundation and Cyprus television
1996

 'BRAN'S SINGING HEAD' a song cycle from the Mabinogion with music by Geoffrey Alvarez, first performance June
1997 Wrote 'NILE LOVE SONGS' in Luxor & Aswan
1998 Wrote 'TO PAPHOS WITH LOVE', SONGS FOR APHRODITE
  Performance of 'NILE LOVE SONGS' with music by Claire van Kampen & 'PAPHOS' songs, with music by Christodoulos Georgiades
  Performances of BAKERS DOZEN AND DIONYSIAN RITES songs, Cyprus
1999

 Performance of 'IL GIARDINO DEGLI UCELLI', with music by Quentin Thomas, Spitalfields Workshop Theatre
2002

Opera 'THE BIRD GARDEN' performed at Oper am Rhein, Dusseldorf, September
Book, libretto, sets and costumes Polly Hope. Music Quentin Thomas
2003 Opera workshop 'BYRON' first staged in November


DONKEY SKIN -  A Fairy tale with music. Poem & set Polly Hope. Music Christodoulos Georgiades. premiereed June, Spitlfields Studio Workshop Theatre
2004 UNicef DOLL - 'Artisti di PI GOTTE' 33 Maestri per 'l UNICEF - Reggio Emilia


ACHILLES & ISKANDAR. Novel in progress

2005

 'S.W.by N.E.' Exhibition of textile, painting, & terra-cotta's of India & Sri Lanka  Indar Pasricha Fine Arts

2006

 Stage and costume design for 'KISS ME KATE', Deutsche Oper Am Rhein Mobil
 

'LORD LOVE-A DUCK' A summer cantata for choir & soloists. premiere June 21st Spitalfields Workshop Theatre
Music by Jonathan Rathbone
Published by PETER'S EDITIONS, London

  Completing Libretto for 'SAND'
  Stagee and costume design for 'LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSE' - Theatre Neumarkt, Zurich, September
2007

Portrait of Theo Salisbury

‘DINNER WALTZES’ Libretto for one act opera
Premiere Spitalfield's Workshop Theatre, June 21st
Book, libretto, sets, costumes, Polly Hope
Music, Christodoulos Georgiades
2009

‘THE ZODIAC'  A song cycle for unaccompanied voices.
Poems, Polly Hope
Music, Jonathan Rathbone
Premiere, Spitalfields Studio Workshop Theatre, 21st June

 

‘TANKS - A LOVE STORY'
Book & Libretto Polly Hope
Music, Jonathan Rathbone
This is work very much in progress.