Wolfers, who, had a distinguished career as a critic and editor prior to opening his gallery in 1968 in London’s Grafton Street, became well known via his busy exhibition schedule. Among the many artists whom he represented was Ken Howard who, from 1971, had over a dozen solo outings at the gallery, the last of which was, just like the recent Richard Green event, a sell-out.
In 1987, David’s daughter, Claudia, became a partner and has now inherited the Gallery, which she plans to run in the same tradition, already expanding by opening the New Grafton South (Pueblo Nueo De Guadiaro, Cadiz, Spain. Tel: 0034 956 695 114).
Claudia, who has worked for the likes of Agnew’s, Flowers East and Bonhams, will continue to support the gallery’s stable of artists, including Susan-Jayne Hocking (born 1962).
David Wolfers first spotted Hocking’s work in 1987 at the Royal Academy Schools and featured her distinctive paintings in his 1994 Summer Exhibition. Since then she has mounted several solo shows with the gallery, the latest of which opens on March 7 and runs through to April 6.
The 27 warm-coloured paintings in oil, pigment and metal leaf depict her recent travels in Cambodia and Burma and are priced between £800 and £4700.
Like father, like daughter
The sudden death of David Wolfers, the ‘captain’ of the New Grafton Gallery (49 Church Road, Barnes, SW13 9HH. Tel: 020 8748 8850) in late December 2001, aged 84, robbed the art world of one of its charismatic characters.
