Claire Hooper

Inspired by mythology and sociology, Claire Hooper's practice encompasses painting, textiles, moving images, installation, and writing.

Biography of Claire Hooper

Claire Hooper was born in London in 1978. She has exhibited his work across Europe and beyond, with notable exhibitions including solo shows at Hollybush Gardens in London, The Gallery at Plymouth College of Art, ANDOR Gallery in London, Bonner Kunstverein, Vanity Projects in New York, and many more.  

Her work has been screened internationally at prominent venues, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands; MUMOK in Vienna; ICA, The Serpentine Cinema, and Whitechapel Gallery in London; and the Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival in Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK.

Hooper's paintings and other works have been featured in numerous group shows, including "Regional, International and Extra-Terrestrial" at Mars Gallery in Los Angeles (2015), "Songs of the Swamp" at WUK in Vienna (2011), and "New Narrative" at Digital Arts Centre in Taipei (2011).

In 2010, Hooper received the Baloise Art Prize, which included a presentation of her video work "Nyx" (2010).

Currently, she lives and works in Marseille, France.

Claire Hooper's Famous Works

Claire Hooper is renowned for her large-scale watercolour paintings and video works. Her famous piece "Clay as Bread and Dust as Wine" (2016) delves into the Mesopotamian myth "The Descent of Inanna to the Underworld." This large-scale, site-specific installation envisions an imagined temple dedicated to the goddess Ereshkigal in Kutha, Northern Iraq. Hooper’s work suggests columns, entryways, and decorative wall panels, but deliberately avoids presenting a complete depiction of the structure.

Another famous work, video "Nyx" (2010), named after the goddess of night, follows a young Kurdish man as he travels home through the Berlin subway after a long night.

Claire Hooper's Art Style

Hooper’s recent watercolor works challenge the expected clarity of imagery by invoking the complex symbolism of the Greek goddess Hekate. This approach transforms ribbons into shifting pathways and Y-junctions, while larger-scale watercolors resemble jigsaw puzzles of sliced geodes and fragmented rock formations. In both cases, Hooper has crafted the patterns and compositions using repeated profile silhouettes of her daughter, grandmother, adopted sister, and herself. Once identified, these facial profiles function as distinct patterning elements and as an identifiable code.

Her watercolor works on paper utilize layering and revealing techniques to explore tonal shifts created by the transparency and interaction of pigments. In several pieces from 2020, including "Profundo Verde," she uses a diptych format that allows for two distinct arrangements.

In her moving image works, the British tradition of documentary intertwines with elements of Greek mythology. Her expansive films center on individuals in vulnerable social positions and their involvement in restrictive systems. These contemporary narratives blend collective social realities with mythological and parable-like themes.