About the artwork

This piece has a great Brutalist and Modernist feel. It is particularly notable as an example of Hitchin’s mastery of finishing techniques in simulating aged metal. The panel formed part of the furnishings in Ron's home and was carefully removed by the artist's estate after Ron passed away. It has since been carefully restored by Cal Smith Gallery.

Year: unknown (Ron was active from the mid 1960s to the early 2000s)

Framed size: 75cm x 75cm

Detailed Condition: Good condition

Signature: Each of the four relief sculptures bears the artist's trademark initials “RH”

Colour: Grey with a verdigris finish simulating aged copper.

Framing: Mounted on cotton-covered board and framed in walnut.

Authenticity: This piece comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the sole executor of the Ron Hitchins estate (Mike Jingle). This panel was purchased directly from the artist's estate.

Delivery: Collect from the shop or contact Cal to arrange specialist art handlers.

About the artist

Ron Hitchins (1926 – 2019) was a British born artist, sculptor, and flamenco dancer with a life-long connection to Hackney, London. He was born to a Lithuanian sex worker working in a Soho opium den, and a Chinese father.

Inspired by the work of Picasso, Bancusi, Ernst and Hepworth, he dedicated his life to experimenting and mastering multi-media artforms. His own home served as a spectacular gallery for his life’s work, with tens of thousands of unique handmade terracotta tiles, fibreglass relief sculptures and imaginative furnishings. Ron Hitchins' house can be viewed on the website set up by the artist's estate.

His tools were simple, comprising knives, paperclips and even a Biro tube, and he often worked naked due to the heat from the kiln, earning himself the nickname ‘The Naked Sculptor’. Although many motifs were repeated, each tile – astonishingly – is unique in precise design and composition.

Ron Hitchins’ work has become increasingly sought after in recent years and has been acquired by major collections such as the V&A, sold at Christie's and Bonham's and has featured on the Antiques Roadshow.