110. Richard Spare - Rook

2026
Acrylic and ink on panel
15 x 15 x 2 cm
Signed on Verso

Richard Spare is a British artist and master printmaker based in London, best known for his drypoints, etchings and oil paintings. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and a deep respect for the fragility of life, Spare’s works often imbue animals, figures and everyday subjects with an idiosyncratic, quietly humorous presence. His practice has also been profoundly shaped by years spent travelling throughout Japan for exhibitions, an influence that continues to inform both the sensitivity and restraint of his work.

Spare studied painting at Maidstone College of Art (now the University for the Creative Arts) between 1971 and 1974, where he was taught by Fred Cuming.

Between 2001 and 2021, Spare undertook thirteen tours of Japan, presenting more than 200 solo exhibitions across the country, including in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Sapporo and Okinawa. Other solo exhibitions include shows at Cambridge Contemporary Gallery (2017); Leeds Art Gallery (2009); and University of Durham (2007). In 2012, he was invited as Guest International Artist at the Toorak Village Art Fair in Melbourne, Australia, alongside solo exhibitions in Ballarat and Daylesford, Victoria.

In 2025, Spare was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by The Open University in recognition of his exceptional contribution to engraving, printmaking, and fine art.

His work is held in numerous public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Library, Museum of London, National Portrait Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery, Federation University Australia and University of Durham.