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RIPLEY & ZOE CARMICHAEL | 16th Oct - 2nd Nov
It is my pleasure to welcome you to a one-off joint exhibition and celebration of the skill of two wonderful artists, one in which the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment plays an equally important role.
This unique show brings together the work of fine art photographer Ripley and sculptor Zoë Carmichael, both of whom were given exclusive access to the Household Cavalry. In each case there was a leap of faith required on the part of the officers and soldiers of the Life Guards and Blues and Royals to agree to be part of the creative process, not knowing what the outcome would be. Not to mention considerable time and energy spent preparing horse and rider and posing for the artists.
Ultimately, we are very proud that the Household Cavalry has proved to be a source of inspiration to both Ripley and Zoë, each operating in their own medium, each producing stunning pieces that celebrate the regiment and its horses.
A measure of how pleased the regiment was with the result of Ripley’s work is that a boxed-set of twelve of his portraits was the official Coronation present from the Household Cavalry to His Majesty King Charles III, presented to the King at Buckingham Palace.
Meanwhile, Zoë, following her appointment in 2023 as the first ‘Sculptor-in-Residence’ to the Household Cavalry, immersed herself in mounted ceremonial life. Working alongside the officers and soldiers, she went to great lengths to get to know the three horses, Verona, Juno and Hastings, that she would go on to create stunning bronzes of in celebration of the remarkable service given by our Military Working Horses.
It is fitting that Ripley and Zoë’s work be shown together and at a location so close to the Household Cavalry’s Hyde Park barracks. Furthermore, it is wonderful that the Household Cavalry Foundation will be a beneficiary from the orders and sales arising from the exhibition.
Lt Colonel Matthew Woodward,
Commanding Officer
Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
