A new permanent gallery dedicated to the life and work of David Hockney will open at Cartwright Hall to mark his 80th birthday.

Due to open on July 7 next year, The David Hockney Gallery will house a display of the unrivalled collection of the Bradford-born artist's early work owned by Bradford Council.

The collection includes sketches, paintings, iPad drawings, prints and photographs.

Cartwright Hall is the home of the largest public collection of Hockney’s earliest work in the world, and the new gallery will show drawings and sketches from his days studying in the city.

Many of the works have been rarely seen in public and never all together. Some of Hockney’s more well-known works, including large iconic pool scene ‘Le Plongeur’ will also be displayed.

David Hockney was born in Eccleshill area on July 9, 1937. He attended Bradford College of Art from 1953 to 1957 before moving to London to study at the Royal College of Art in 1959.

Jill Iredale, curator at Cartwright Hall, said: “It was important to us that we mark this birthday of one of the world’s most significant, influential and engaging artists, who just happens to be from Bradford.

"This new gallery will be a place where people will be able to see what inspired Hockney while he was here in the city and engage directly with some of his work from then through to now.

"I hope that all ages will be inspired by the story we will tell of how a boy from Bradford was always destined to make his mark on the cultural landscape of not just this country but across the globe for more than six decades.”

Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, added: “Cartwright Hall is the natural home for a gallery celebrating David Hockney, a son of Bradford and much loved as an artist all over the world.

“It will be exciting to see Bradford’s public collection of Hockney’s early work in a permanent gallery and learn about his life and work.

"This permanent gallery, in a building that inspired him as a boy, will make Cartwright Hall Art Gallery a ‘must-see’ destination for visitors to the district and for all Hockney fans.”

A series of events will be programmed to mark the opening of The David Hockney Gallery in Cartwright Hall and the surrounding Lister Park. 

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