Charcoal on paper
25 x 30 cm (9.8 x 11.8 inches)
Framed.
In Hambling's muse (2026), Studio 198 presents a raw and expressive portrait that explores emotion, distortion, and the physicality of mark-making. Executed in charcoal, the work embraces immediacy—where each gesture feels urgent, unfiltered, and deeply human.
Drawing influence from Maggi Hambling, the piece resists refinement in favour of intensity. The face emerges through layered, fractured lines and smudged tonal fields, capturing not likeness but presence. Features dissolve and reform across the surface, creating a tension between structure and collapse.
At 25 x 30 cm (9.8 x 11.8 inches), the scale invites close, almost confrontational viewing. The intimacy of the format heightens the emotional impact, pulling the viewer into the shifting terrain of the subject's expression.
This is a one-off original. There are no editions.
Created for collectors who value bold, uncompromising figuration, Hambling's muse offers a direct encounter—where gesture becomes feeling and imperfection becomes truth.