Bridget Riley exhibition, Hayward Gallery

Britain's most revered queen of optical experiences returns to London next October with her first major large-scale museum retrospective held in the UK for 16 years. Organised by the National Galleries of Scotland in partnership with the Hayward Gallery and in close collaboration with the artist, this comprehensive exhibition charts the pivotal moments in Riley's prolific career, from her early monochrome paintings of the 1960s to recent large-scale wall paintings. Also on display will be early, rarely-seen sculpture, preparatory studies and new works made specially for the Hayward Gallery Bridget Riley exhibition.

Since propelling ‘Op art’ into the media spotlight during the 1960s, Riley has inspired fashion, design and advertising with her waves of vibrating abstractions, psychedelic surfaces, and graphic patterns. In recent years she has continued to develop her exploration of the interaction between form, colour and the subsequent effects on perception: 'I couldn’t get near what I wanted through seeing, recognising and recreating, so I stood the problem on its head. I started studying squares, rectangles, triangles and the sensations they give rise to.' Riley’s images have been celebrated for producing visual experiences that are disorienting and complex, often provoking intense sensations of movement. The term 'Rileysensation' was coined to describe this effect of looking at her paintings.

After a hugely successful show at David Zwirner Gallery in January 2018, this exhibition, spanning 70 years of Riley's work, offers an unparalleled insight into the creative trajectory of one of the most groundbreaking artists of our time. Stay tuned for booking dates.