Sussex Spotlight at Hastings Contemporary
The gallery has recently launched Sussex Spotlight, a new series of free-to-visit exhibitions celebrating the vibrant creativity of local artists and the rich cultural landscape of Sussex. The first exhibition in the series features St Leonards-based painter Alessandro Raho, whose work explores presence and absence, memory and emotion, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Currently on view, this exhibition considers the evolution of Raho’s practice – from intimate, pared down portraits to luminous studies of familiar objects.
Born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1971, Raho is celebrated for his confident portraits of celebrated artists like Dame Judi Dench (in the National Portrait Gallery) and Bryan Ferry. Presented as solitary figures posed against stark white backgrounds, these portraits heighten the sitter’s presence and the immediacy of their connection with the viewer.
The exhibition also examines Raho’s focus on still life, where his attention turns to flowers and seemingly inconsequential objects such as chocolate boxes or a pile of books, drawing our attention to the significance of something that might otherwise be overlooked.
Raised in South London, Raho studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, graduating in 1994. He gained early recognition as part of the Young British Artists (YBA) generation and was included in Brilliant! New Art from London at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1995. The portrait of Dame Judi, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, is among his best-known works.
His work is also held in other major public collections including Tate, MOMA (New York), the Seattle Art Museum, and the Berardo Collection in Portugal. Recent shows in which he has featured include Friends & Lovers at the FLAG Art Foundation (New York), and In The Offing, a group exhibition curated by Mark Leckey at the Turner Contemporary (Margate), and Elliott Templeton Fine Arts, again in New York.
Sussex Spotlight offers a platform for both emerging and established artists to share their work. The Sussex Spotlight programme is supported by David and Sarah Kowitz.
Details and opening times: hastingscontemporary.org/events/alessandro-raho
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