March 6 — April 2, 2026
An uncommon convergence of works & wonder.
Collected. Considered. Unexpectedly alive.
Through Hooper's eyes
"When I think of Wentworth (Blake’s beautiful, marvelous creation), I think of the playful and inspiring objects full of wonderment, where even the most practical items inspire. It reminds me of Proust’s observations of Chardin’s paintings. “We have learned from Chardin that a pear is as living as a woman, that an ordinary piece of pottery is as beautiful as a precious stone". In essence, even a plate, a knife, a crumb are all beautiful and curious.
With Installation of Curiosities, I've decided to build on that, by adding something unexpected that makes me smile. Let’s be playful—I’m letting the universe take the reins in the studio and in life, and trusting the outcome. I need joy. I need authenticity. I’m finding my quyss.
Then again, aren't we all?"
An uncommon convergence of works & wonder.
The Exhibition
Jill Hooper works between Charleston and London, her practice shaped by years of study in the European atelier tradition, including time in Florence and France under masters of contemporary realism such as D. Jeffrey Mims and Charles Cecil. Her practice is grounded in sustained study—of the figure, of still life, of the discipline of looking itself. She works exclusively from life and natural light, using sight‑size observation, tonal modeling, and hand-mixed pigments.
In a rare and expansive presentation at Wentworth, Hooper’s oil paintings and charcoal drawings are brought together in a fully immersive Installation of Curiosities. Works of varying scale and subject gather in striking density, spanning walls, shelves, and tables in an interior entirely devoted to her vision.
Surrounded by natural forms and collected objects, the installation becomes an enclave where everything feels momentarily and unmistakably in its place.
