David Hockney's Colourful World Lives On at the Serpentine

The art world recently lost one of its brightest and most beloved figures. David Hockney, whose bold colours, innovative vision and unmistakable optimism transformed contemporary art, passed away earlier this year at the age of 88. Yet stepping into the Serpentine Gallery's latest exhibition feels less like a farewell and more like a celebration of a life spent finding beauty in the world around us.

There are few artists capable of making everyday life feel extraordinary quite like Hockney.

The British artist's exhibition at London's Serpentine Gallery is a joyful reminder that beauty can be found almost anywhere: in a flowering tree, a changing season, a friend sitting for a portrait, or even a simple table covered with a patterned cloth.

Titled A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting, the exhibition invites visitors to slow down, look closely and reconnect with the simple beauty of the world around them.

At the centre of the exhibition is A Year in Normandie, Hockney's remarkable 90-metre-long artwork inspired by the landscape surrounding his home in rural France. Stretching through the gallery like a visual journey through time, it captures an entire year of nature unfolding before our eyes. Blossom appears, leaves change colour, winter arrives and spring returns once again. There are no dramatic scenes or famous landmarks—just the quiet magic of the natural world observed by an artist who never stopped looking.

There is also a series of more intimate works, including vibrant still lifes and portraits that demonstrate Hockney's lifelong fascination with colour, perspective and human connection. At 88, the artist's curiosity and playful experimentation remained wonderfully obvious - and I especially loved the tables draped with richly patterned tablecloths, topped with flowers, fruit and everyday objects - these still lifes transform ordinary domestic scenes into something almost theatrical. The folds of the fabric ripple across the canvas, creating movement and energy, while the vivid colours seem to glow from within. They are joyful, intimate works that remind us that art does not always need grand subjects to make a lasting impression.

That is perhaps Hockney's greatest gift. His work feels accessible without ever being simplistic.

Whether working with paint, photography or digital technology, he remained an artist who was constantly experimenting, constantly evolving and constantly finding new ways to capture the beauty of everyday life.

Set within the leafy surroundings of Kensington Gardens, the exhibition is also the perfect excuse for a summer stroll through one of London's most beautiful parks.

In a cultural landscape often dominated by darkness and complexity, David Hockney leaves us with something refreshingly different: colour, joy and a reminder to pay attention to the world around us.

And what a wonderful legacy that is.

If you're looking for a reason to wander through Hyde Park this summer, make time for David Hockney. You may arrive expecting an art exhibition, but leave feeling as though you've spent a year in the French countryside.

David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting runs at the Serpentine North Gallery until 23 August 2026. Admission is free.

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