The Makers: Portraits from Backstage exhibition opens, featuring works by the National Theatre’s first Artist in Residence, Curtis Holder.
Curated by Kate Bryan, broadcaster, writer and Global Director of Art for Soho House, The Makers: Portraits from Backstage is a love letter to the dynamic creative forces that exist behind the scenes of theatre. The Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year for 2020, Holder’s multi-layered pencil portraits capture a range of ‘makers’ at the National Theatre including; wigs hair and make-up assistants, prop and puppet makers, a deputy ladies’ cutter, a costume workroom trainee, stage technicians, and one of the National Theatre’s stage door supervisors. At once dynamic and tender, Holder’s portraits bring the backstage to the foreground and provide an uncanny psychological insight into his subjects.
In 2022 the Director, and NT Associate, Dominic Cooke invited Holder into rehearsals of The Corn Is Green, which Cooke directed, to document the progress of the production through hundreds of rapid gestural drawings capturing the emotion of the actors in the rehearsal room. It was from here that the idea of The Makers exhibition was born. The exhibition highlights all corners of the NT’s vast backstage areas, celebrating the incredible craftspeople, creatives and individuals that make the NT productions possible.
Fascinated by the expertise at work, Holder draws attention to the dedication and passion at play, most especially in his eleven large-format portraits. Distilling months of observation and quick sketches, Holder selected a small number of sitters from across the National Theatre to focus upon. The works demonstrate Holder’s remarkable facility to go beyond the surface and transform the humble pencil into a symphony of feeling.
For two decades, Curtis Holder was a primary school teacher in south London and in 2020 became a full-time artist after winning Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year – judged by the exhibition’s curator, Kate Bryan. This is Holder’s first institutional solo exhibition and will incorporate a number of public events at the National Theatre, including family drawing workshops and a live in-conversation portrait sitting with Deputy Artistic Director Clint Dyer.
The exhibition is free and will open on 27 January 2023 in the Lyttelton Lounge.
A full list of upcoming events is below.
The final portrait: live-draw with Curtis Holder and NT Deputy Artistic Director Clint Dyer
Sat 28 Jan, 10.30am-12.30pm
Lyttelton Lounge, Free, drop-in: no ticket booking required
Join Curtis Holder as he live-draws the final portrait for his exhibition, The Makers: Portraits from Backstage. Curtis will draw NT Deputy Artistic Director Clint Dyer, while Kate Bryan chats to Clint about his work. Bring your sketchbook to draw-along or just listen to the conversation and observe Curtis as he begins the creation of the final exhibition piece.
Some drawing materials and paper will be provided by Derwent for those who wish to participate.
Children’s self-portrait workshop
Sat 11 Feb, 10.30am-12.30pm
Lyttelton Lounge, Free, drop-in: no ticket booking required
Budding young artists can drop-in to our half term self-portrait workshop led by Curtis Holder, a chance to draw yourself through your own lens, rather than the camera lens! No booking necessary – just turn up and stay for as long as it takes you to complete your self-portrait. Materials provided by Derwent, there will be separate tables for under 5s/5+.
This workshop is aimed at children (under 16s), and children must be supervised at all times.
Self-portrait workshop with Curtis Holder and Kate Bryan
Sat 15 April, 2pm-6pm
Lyttelton Lounge, £10 (includes a drink): booking opens end of January
Join us for an afternoon of drawing and conversation with Kate Bryan and Curtis Holder with surprise guest portrait artists. Set against the backdrop of Holder’s exhibition, you’ll be guided through creating a self-portrait in a relaxed session which will include informal conversations with Kate and Curtis, and advice and feedback from various artists throughout.
The ticket price includes a glass of house wine or a soft drink, redeemable during the event. Some materials and paper are provided by Derwent; please bring your own if you wish to draw with specific materials.
Exhibition ends November 4th
