Maggi Hambling has unveiled a deeply personal installation titled "Time" at Norfolk's 18th-century Wolterton Hall, as part of the exhibition "Sea State." The installation features a single portrait of her late partner, Tory Lawrence, alongside 40 small paintings called "nightwaves," created in response to Lawrence's death from a brain tumor in autumn 2024. The show also includes new works by Ro Robertson and Hambling's ongoing "Wall of Water" series, marking the first arts and culture program at the historic Palladian house built for Horatio Walpole.
This exhibition matters because it continues the trend of British stately homes hosting contemporary art, bridging heritage and modern practice. Hambling's work, long focused on the sea and personal loss, gains new emotional depth through the intimate memorial to her partner of 40 years. The installation also highlights the artist's enduring influence—she was the first artist in residence at London's National Gallery and has works in major collections including the Tate, British Museum, and Metropolitan Museum of Art—while offering audiences a rare, poignant glimpse into her private life.