In conversation with Polly Bielecka

“We think he [Lynn Chadwick] would have been delighted with the exhibition at Houghton, albeit in a modest ‘it’s not too bad’ sort of way!”

 - Polly Bielecka

Polly Bielecka

A major exhibition of British sculptor Lynn Chadwick has opened at Houghton Hall in Norfolk. Presenting over 30 works, this is the largest show of the artist in over two decades. It has been curated by Pangolin London and we speak with Gallery Director Polly Bielecka to learn more.

Pangolin London has a special connection to Lynn Chadwick which dates back to 1983. Can you tell us more about this relationship and the significance of curating the current exhibition?

Pangolin are privileged to have a special, personal connection with Lynn Chadwick in that the founders, Claude Koenig and Rungwe Kingdon, worked for him in his studio and foundry. When they set up their own foundry, Pangolin Editions, in 1985, Lynn became their first client and they have cast his work ever since. Knowing an artist’s work through casting gives you a unique insight into their making process and their career. The exhibition at Houghton spans four decades of Chadwick’s sculpture, from the early mobiles right through to the last piece of his career, the ‘Ace of Diamonds’.

Lynn Chadwick at Houghton Hall, 2 May - 4 October 2026. Courtesy of the artist's estate/Pangolin London. Photo: Steve Russell Studios.

Lynn Chadwick came to sculpture via architectural drawing and mobile constructions for trade fairs. How did that unconventional route shape his practice?

That’s a really interesting question and one that is central to the show. Chadwick’s experience of architectural practices and indeed flying in the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War were fundamental to how he developed such a dynamic visual language and original making process. It meant that he felt entirely comfortable drawing in space - through welding with steel rods - building up the form through construction. Perhaps because of his lack of formal training, he felt a freedom to continuously experiment. At Houghton, you can witness the progression of this making process in the gallery room where we have some fabulous photographs, drawings, maquettes and unfinished models.

It is well known that the artist preferred not to discuss the meaning behind his work, but did he have a strong preference for how and where his sculptures were exhibited? How might he have responded to seeing his work in this environment?

We think he would have been delighted with the exhibition at Houghton, albeit in a modest ‘it’s not too bad’ sort of way! Chadwick worked in an almost binary language of triangles and squares, which he used to focus on asymmetry. In the magnificent surroundings of the neo-Palladian architecture and formal grounds of Houghton, where symmetry is paramount, there is a really interesting dialogue with his work. This combines with a shared language of elegance that makes them feel very comfortable there.

Lynn Chadwick at Houghton Hall, 2 May - 4 October 2026. Courtesy of the artist's estate/Pangolin London. Photo: Steve Russell Studios.

As the curator, do you have any favourite juxtapositions where a sculpture and its setting work particularly well together?

One of the joys of curating the show at Houghton has been working with the wonderful variety of environments it offers. he grand West Front with its wide-open horizon contrasts with the intimate secret garden and the sumptuous interiors of the house, and then with the quiet stillness of St Martin’s Church. It’s hard to choose a favourite but I think the stainless steel beasts on the main lawn and the Ace of Diamonds, which moves so gracefully in the wind, are highlights and I’ve been astounded at how different their reflective surfaces look at all times of the day or night.

Lynn Chadwick at Houghton Hall, 2 May - 4 October 2026. Courtesy of the artist's estate/Pangolin London. Photo: Steve Russell Studios.

A selection of sketches and smaller works are also on show in the exhibition. What was the artist’s preparatory process like for creating a sculpture and what can we learn from looking at these elements of his practice?

As we’ve touched on above, Chadwick’s making process was unique and he had a very distinctive visual language. Interestingly, he did not do much preparation. He believed he was a physical conduit for the work and he used drawing to explore his sculpture after creation rather than before. It’s wonderful to be able to compare these intimate early sketches and maquettes with the monumental works outside in the landscape.

Image courtesy of Dinings SW3

The [Quick] #FLODown

Last song you listened to?

My teenage daughter is going through a Country phrase so at the moment we are listening to a lot of Chris Stapleton. The lilting ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ is a favourite.

Last book you read?

The exquisite ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ by Elif Shafak

Can’t live without…?

Tea

What should the art world be more of and less of?

Less mega - more considered connoisseurship.

Lynn Chadwick at Houghton Hall is on display until 4 October 2026. houghtonhall.com