Hanneke Beaumont
Hanneke Beaumont talks to IRK Magazine
Lee Sharrock in conversation with Hanneke Beaumont about her retrospective exhibition at Bowman Sculpture in London. The exhibition titled Sculpting the Universal Self celebrates thirty years of the gallery’s collaboration with the Dutch Sculptor and will include the premier of her monumental new sculpture Duality, which arrives at Bowman Sculpture directly from Beaumont’s foundry in Pietrasanta, Italy.
Hanneke, your exhibition Sculpting the Universal Self marks three decades of collaboration with Bowman Sculpture. Looking back, how has your relationship with the gallery influenced your artistic evolution over the years?
Hanneke Beaumont: My sculptures are created in the privacy of my studio. Shaped by what I observe or experience around me—and within myself. Sometimes they come about quite spontaneously. The commercial or gallery aspects of the art world don’t influence what I make. That said, the long-standing collaboration with Bowman Sculpture has given me the space and freedom to pursue my practice authentically, without compromise.
The title of the exhibition suggests a deep exploration of identity and human experience. How does Sculpting the Universal Self reflect your ongoing investigation into the human condition?
Hanneke Beaumont: I believe emotions are universal—they aren’t confined to gender, age, or origin. As far as “self” is concerned, I don’t think my feelings are unique.
The title, chosen by Bowman Sculpture Gallery, captures this duality beautifully. It brings together two opposing ideas—the shared and the personal—which is precisely what my work often tries to hold in balance.
The new sculpture Duality will be unveiled during this exhibition. Hanneke can you share the inspiration behind this work and how it continues or challenges themes present in your earlier sculptures?
Hanneke Beaumont: Duality explores that moment in life when you’re faced with two conflicting paths and must make a choice.
If you look closely, you’ll see that sense of being “torn” is embedded in the form of the piece. The figure is reflective, uncertain, much like in Stepping Forward, poised between options and needing to decide. It’s a continuation of the emotional undercurrents I often explore.
Your figures often convey a sense of ambiguity, genderless, timeless, caught between movement and stillness. In what ways does Duality build on or reinterpret these signature qualities?
Hanneke Beaumont: Duality isn’t bound to gender or time, like most of my figures. On the outside, the figure appears quiet, even solemn. But it carries within it that universal tension: strength and vulnerability coexisting. This contrast—the internal and external—is something I return to often in my work.
There are twenty six sculptures in this exhibition at Bowman Sculpture. Almost all of your works are simply numbered rather than titled. I understand this reflects your desire to leave interpretation entirely open to the viewer. However, in addition to Duality, there are two other titled pieces in the show: Pietà II and Matter over Mind. Could you share the significance behind these titles and what led you to name these particular works?
Pietà II
Hanneke Beaumont: Pietà is a well-known theme in sculpture, and I wanted to create my own contemporary interpretation of it. Rather than depicting a body, I shaped it with fragments which represent the earth—once beautiful but now damaged, industrialised and decaying. The broken lines in the plates emphasise how what used to be, is now broken down.
Sculpturally, I wanted to contrast rounded human forms with rigid architectural shapes. It’s one of my favourite works—I keep the original in my studio, always on view.
Matter over Mind
This is a fairly recent work which has rarely been exhibited. It explores the idea of the human being enveloped in and inseparable from matter. The figure both merges with the material and holds it, and it allows two interpretations: one more socio-political (materialism overpowering the mind) and another more philosophical.
I prefer not to over-explain further, as I want to leave room for the viewer’s personal experience. The title is a hint, but the meaning remains open. I sometimes find that the viewers own personal interpretation can give the work a whole new insight and dimension I had not even thought of myself.
This exhibition not only celebrates your collaboration with Bowman but also decades of artistic inquiry. What do you hope visitors take away from experiencing this body of work now, at this moment in your career?
Hanneke Beaumont: I rarely explain my sculptures—I’d rather people bring their own experiences and emotions to the work.
My pieces are born from a moment, a feeling, something I’ve seen or sensed. If that resonates with someone else, then that’s deeply rewarding.
I often hear interpretations that surprise me—and I genuinely enjoy listening to how others connect with the work in their own way.
Hanneke Beaumont: Sculpting the Universal Self opens on 19th June and runs until 25th July, 2025. For more information go to: https://bowmansculpture.com
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Our editor at large Daniel Syrett, or SYRETT, which the artist is better known as, brings his extensive knowledge of the fashion and art industries to his role here at IRK Magazine. While SYRETT is recognized for his glossy Haute-Couture pieces, Daniel is also the founder and curator of Runway Gallery, the fashion-focused gallery that represents some familiar names from IRK, including our founders, French Cowboy. Daniel may be making his mark on the vibrant London art scene at present; however, his unique style is based on different influences from Daniel Syrett’s past.
After studying fashion at Jacob Kramer College of Art in his home city of Leeds, Daniel moved to Liverpool, where his style was influenced by the alternative creative’s of Merseyside. After successfully launching one of the most exclusive nightclubs in the country, Dan travelled to London to work as a freelance stylist, in a move which saw his career in fashion skyrocket. To date, Daniel Syrett has worked alongside some of the most prestigious names in the industry, including Elle, All Saints, EMI, the BBC, and London Fashion Week. Among his latest collaborations, SYRETT is most recognised for his partnership with True Brit Nail Varnish which is portrayed through his glossy art pieces. SYRETT uses the varnish as a medium to create highly polished, and highly fashionable works of art which expose the intertwining relationship between the fashion and art worlds. This connection is epitomised by his most recent collection in which SYRETT named each piece after some of the most iconic designers, including Alexander, Jean-Paul, Yves and Vivienne, with the latter designer being a frequent visitor to Daniel’s former boutique, Controversy.
As a result of working with these stylish clients, Daniel Syrett has solidified a global reputation as both a fashion stylist and an artist. His work has graced everywhere from New York and Florence, to the pastel-glazed buildings on Miami’s South Beach, where an exhibition of SYRETT’S work is also planned for the near future. It is, however, unsurprising that Daniel Syrett has reached such heights, after seeing his work published in over 200 National and International publications, alongside several other books, including the Booth-Clibborn Edition of the counter-culture book, High Flyers.
Alongside his role at IRK, Daniel continues to make his name in London and beyond, most specifically through Beautalism: the emerging art movement which is shaping the art scene across the capital. As the founder of the Beautalists, Daniel Syrett aims to bridge the gap between the public and the artist and make art accessible to all. This is all in a days work for Dan, who balances his Runway Gallery empire with his work as an artist. With other exciting partnerships launching with the W Hotel, Soho’s Century Club and ROOME, the future for the head of Beautalism looks beautiful indeed.
Biography by Megan Slack, Contributing Editor at Magazine by Runway Gallery.
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