Wilfrid Wood (artist)

Wilfrid Wood (born 1968) is a London-based artist working in various mediums and specialising in portraiture. He trained in graphics at Central St Martins before building latex heads for satirical TV programme, Spitting Image.

Early life and education

Born in London, Wood was raised in rural Sussex surrounded by a family of artists, including his father John Norris Wood, who was a natural history illustrator. He graduated from Central St. Martins with a degree in graphic design.

Career

Wood began his career in publishing, designing layouts for encyclopedias. Bored by the work, he applied for a job as a “head builder” on the satirical TV program Spitting Image, making eyeball mechanisms for the puppets of public figures.

Using many mediums including polymer clay and plasticine, Wood’s candid portraits depict everyday themes from politicians to sportsmen, from musicians to celebrities with the occasional dog walker for good measure. His work has been featured in different magazines, shows and exhibitions. In 2021, he designed BEEF! is a simple card game for two or more players published by Rough Trade Books.

Wood works out of his studio in Hackney Wick and holds various sculpting workshops.

List of exhibitions

Country Life, solo exhibition at at Frmd, London, 2023

Group exhibition at the Royal Watercolour Society, 2023

Hampstead Art Society, group show, London, 2023

Green & Stone, group show, London, 2023

Diving Deep, group exhibition at the University of Kent, 2023

Funny Ha Ha! Group exhibition at Maddox Gallery, London, 2022

These Cartoons are a Work Event, group show Cartoon Museum, London, 2022

Virile, group show, House of St. Barnabus, London 2022

People, solo exhibition, Copeland Gallery, London, 2021

Royal Academy Summer show, London, 2021

Rude Assembly, group show, Australia, 2021

Drawings of my BF, solo show, Studio 59, London, 2019

Group Show, Alan Kluckow Fine Art, Ascot, 2018

Drawing People, solo exhibition at Space Gallery, Hackney, 2018

Pink, group show, Colette, Paris, 2018

Royal Academy Summer show, London, 2018

Solo show, Volume Gallery, Berlin, 2016

Olympic Portraits, solo exhibition, 2016

Pop Living, group show, Schwartz Gallery, 2015

Futagotamagawa biennale, Japan, 2015

Dog Show, solo show, Beach Gallery, London, 2014

KK Outlet, solo show, London, 2013

Chisenhale Gallery, group show, London, 2012

Object Abuse, group show, KK Outlet, London 2011

Somerset House, group show, London, 2011

La Scatola, group show, London, 2011

Solo Show, Sang Sang Madang, South Korea, 2010

Lulubell Toy Bodega, group show, Tucson, Arizona, 2008

SEA 2 The Wig Has Gone Out, group show, London, 2006

Being Hunted, group show, Berlin, 2006

SEA 1, Normal, group show, London, 2004

References

British sculptors

Alumni of Central Saint Martins

1968 births

Living people