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A complete artist

13th July 2017
Art and design

Artist, choreographer and stage director, Clive Hicks-Jenkins, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from Southampton Solent University on Thursday 13 July. 

Clive concentrated his early career on choreography and stage direction, but in the 1990s he turned from theatre to painting.  

A regular visitor to Solent University, Clive delivers workshops and lectures to the students and contributes to online discussions via course forums. 

On receiving his award, he said: "The real present, the true present is getting to know the students I've met during my visits  here. Learning about you has been a privilege."  

He went on to say: "In a troubled year, that included voting out of the European Union, Southampton Solent was a beacon for me. I made new friends and learnt that whatever I had to offer was returned to me ten-fold by the creativity of the students I got to meet and work with.  

"Meeting you, hearing your stories, hearing your struggles, knowing about where you've come from and where you would like to go has been the greatest privilege." 

Clive has been praised by critics in The Independent, Modern Painters and Art Review, and actor Sir Simon Callow describes him as: “...one of the most individual and complete artists of our time." 

He shows regularly with the Martin Tinney Gallery in Cardiff and has had solo exhibitions at Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Machynlleth, Newport Museum and Art Gallery, Anthony Hepworth Fine Art, Brecknock Museum, the National Library of Wales and Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Clive's paintings, prints and private press books are in numerous public collections, including the National Museum of Wales, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, MoMA Machynlleth, the Contemporary Art Society for Wales, Llandaff Cathedral, Pallant House Gallery and the Methodist Church Collection of Modern Art, as well as private collections and libraries around the world.

He is a Royal Cambrian Academician and an Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University School of Art. In 2016, he was commissioned to illustrate a dark reworking of Hansel and Gretel for the publisher Random Spectacular, and in 2018 will be returning to directing when he helms the national tour of a new music chamber work by Matthew Kaner.

His final words to the assembled graduates were: "I know that the future is going to be alright because you are in it. Thank you for inviting me to 'your' party."