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Henry Moore Studios & Gardens in Hertfordshire is currently closed for winter, reopening in April 2025.

Henry Moore Institute in Leeds will be closed over Christmas from 23 to 26 December and 30 December to 1 January (library and archive closed from 23 December to 1 January).

Discover & Research

Art Encounters: Paloma Varga Weisz: Bumped Body

This series of Art Encounters examines the enchanting figurative sculpture of German artist Paloma Varga Weisz.

These free resources are aimed at pupils aged 10-16 years, but can be adapted for older and younger learners.

A young woman is bending over to look closer at a small, porcelain sculpture of a person covered in lumps. There are lots of framed watercolour paintings hung on the wall behind her.

Introduction

This video introduces the Bumped Body exhibition and the work of Paloma Varga Weisz.

We recommend watching this first, before diving into the following episodes.

Download teacher guide (PDF)

Episode 1: Still Life

Explore Still Life, a mixed media sculpture inspired by childhood memories and family heritage.

Pupils can complete our poetry activity alongside this, or just use the worksheet to capture their ideas.

Episode 2: Home Portraits

Find out about two artworks connected to the artist’s childhood home in this video.

Then, download and follow our activity pack to create your own ‘Home Portrait’.

Episode 3: Strange Characters

Meet an array of strange characters in the Bumped Body exhibition, exploring the textures and hybrid nature of Varga Weisz’s practice.

Take inspiration from these themes to make you own hybrid characters with our downloadable worksheets.

Find out more about the exhibition

About Art Encounters

Art Encounters is a new series of free short films for schools with accompanying resources, created in partnership with our neighbours at Leeds Art Gallery.

Art Encounters supports teachers and learners to discover artworks and artists in our exhibitions and displays. They invite viewers to discuss first responses to artworks, learn about the artist and their inspirations, and conclude with a creative challenge that can be used as part of a programme of study, or as a stand-alone activity undertaken in school or at home.

Art Encounters will be a growing series of resources that introduce teachers and learners to diverse art practices and lesser known artists, providing rich, localised, curated content for art teaching. We are keen to gain feedback from teachers to improve our resources, so please feel free to contact us to share your thoughts and suggestions.

 

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