Keith Cunningham: Dancers

Keith Cunningham’s art remained largely unseen by the public until 2016, when his widow and a small group of friends organised an intimate exhibition in Hackney, London. Since then, his reputation has grown steadily. As more of his extraordinary body of work comes to light, the world gains a fuller understanding of this understated yet remarkable artist. By the 1980s, Cunningham had shifted away from his large, rough canvases, turning instead to creating thousands of vibrant hand-drawn pieces. Some of these works, bursting with colour, movement and life, depict female dancers in the throes of dynamic, frenzied performances. A carefully curated selection of these drawings has now been brought together in this publication. Keith Cunningham: Dancers presents 327 full-scale colour reproductions of these exquisite, previously unseen artworks. Vividly rendering their intense colours and delicate lines, they showcase a variety of techniques, reflecting Cunningham’s diverse influences, ranging from graphic design to traditional drawing and abstract art. Organised into three thematic sections — Rhythm, Light, and Form — the collection is accompanied by an introductory essay by the acclaimed art writer Gabrielle Schwarz.