The Art of Astrid Zydower
Thursday 5th March to April 12th 2026

Astrid Zydower MBE 1930–2005

Astrid Zydower was a remarkable British artist whose work combined technical mastery with deep emotional insight. Born in 1930 in a region then part of Germany (now Poland), Astrid was the youngest of three Jewish siblings. In 1939, at just nine years old, she was sent to the United Kingdom via the Kindertransport — a humanitarian effort that saved thousands of Jewish children from the Holocaust. She travelled with her brother Manfred and sister Anita. The three were fostered in Sheffield by a Quaker family.

Astrid’s early experience of displacement would become an unspoken current in her art. She attended the Sheffield School of Art and won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, where she studied sculpture under Professor John Skeaping.

Her rise as an artist was swift and impressive. Zydower became known for her public commissions and portraiture, sculpting with a humanism and precision that set her apart. Among her most prestigious projects were works for the UK Pavilions at two World Expositions: Expo 67 in Montreal and Expo 70 in Osaka. These commissions placed her among a handful of women artists entrusted with national representation on a global stage. Other notable works include the Nativity Scene displayed for many years at St. Paul’s Cathedral and Orpheus and the Leopard at Harewood House.

Zydower's work reflected themes of cultural memory, classical beauty, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Her private drawings and sketchbooks reveal an artist deeply attuned to vulnerability and resilience.

While Zydower was mostly known for her sculpture, in her later years she turned increasingly to etching and drawing — quieter, more introspective forms that allowed her to explore personal themes with delicacy and depth. This exhibition brings to light a remarkable collection of etchings that have never before been displayed, offering a fresh view into a rich and lesser-known part of her creative life.

Despite her significant contributions, Zydower's name is less widely known today.

Her rediscovery is timely: a reappraisal of an exceptional artistic talent and a reminder of lives shaped by exile and quiet reinvention. Her art remains a testament to survival, grace, and enduring creativity.