Unveiling at the PARQ

Written by Helen Siwak

On the concrete terrace outside of D6 Cafe, art history was made as tarps were removed from two sculptures, exposing their reflective brilliance. The unveiling of Love Me and Tear by renowned contemporary British sculptor Richard Hudson, marked his first foray into Canada.

Hudson started his art career quite late. Originally from a farming family, Hudson travelled many roads before reaching Spain. He played in a rock band, did some acting, and in the late 1980s worked his way into property development and design in London. While he found it exciting, it did not satisfy his internal craving.

The exhibit offered art enthusiasts an opportunity to
observe Hudson’s modern surrealist adaptation of two images familiar to us all — the heart and a teardrop.

So he found himself at 42 years old, having just completed a “four- to five-year walk-about that ended in Mallorca” with the realization that he was a sculptor.

The exhibit offered art enthusiasts an opportunity to observe Hudson’s modern surrealist adaptation of two images familiar to us all — the heart and a teardrop.

What began as a conversation between Sotheby’s International Realty Canada and Ian MacDonald, art collector and owner of Okanagan-based Liquidity Wines, blossomed into a plan of action. MacDonald flew Hudson to the Napa Valley for a tête-à-tête and over many bottles of wine, the two crafted the Vancouver exhibit.

To Hudson, the exhibit is significant: “Vancouver is a city that is known around the world for its unparalleled natural beauty … and is such a vibrant young city.”

Displayed during June at PARQ Vancouver, the exhibit offered art enthusiasts an opportunity to observe Hudson’s modern surrealist adaptation of two images familiar to us all — the heart and a teardrop.

“I want all my stuff handmade, I don’t like seeing things machined. I still believe in the craftsmanship and the uniqueness of the artist — hands-on material, the paint and the brush, the pencil and the paper, and the sculptor with his clay,” Hudson says.

Love Me is perhaps the more emotional of the two pieces as it explores the relationship between the iconic symbol for “heart” and “black holes, the creation of the universe, and conception. The female.”

To date, 50 monumental Hudson sculptures have been installed in public spaces and sculpture parks, and purchased by private collectors such as Sir Elton John, Claudia Schiffer, and added to the Paul Mellon and Swarovski collections.