Patrick Hayman

Patrick Hayman (1915–1988) was a British painter, poet and maker of constructions whose work combined memory, myth, history and personal symbolism. Though associated with the St Ives circle, he remained resolutely figurative, developing a highly personal language of simplified figures, boats, landscapes and inscriptions that often gives his paintings the quality of visual poems.

Born in London, Hayman moved to New Zealand in 1936 and spent more than a decade there. Living first in Dunedin and later Wellington, he began to paint seriously and became part of a younger generation of artists seeking a more independent modern language. His friendships included Colin McCahon and other figures central to the development of modern art in New Zealand.

Hayman returned to Britain in 1947 and soon settled in Cornwall, living for periods in Mevagissey, Carbis Bay and St Ives. He became closely associated with the St Ives community and admired the work of Alfred Wallis, whose direct, unacademic approach to painting had a lasting influence on him. Barbara Hepworth and Peter Lanyon were among those who knew and supported his work.

Cornwall remained an important source throughout his career, even after he returned to London in the early 1950s. Boats, shorelines, lovers, travellers and biblical or mythological figures recur in his paintings, often accompanied by words or titles that extend their meaning. His imagery is deliberately pared down and sometimes naïve in appearance, but beneath its apparent simplicity lies a sophisticated engagement with poetry, memory and narrative.

Hayman worked in oil, gouache, drawing and mixed media and also made small painted constructions, frequently using found materials. His paintings could be intimate in scale, yet their subjects often ranged widely across mythology, religion, exploration and contemporary history.

Alongside his work as an artist, Hayman was deeply involved in writing and publishing. From 1958 to 1963 he founded and edited The Painter and Sculptor, an international journal devoted to contemporary art, and poetry remained central to his practice throughout his life. His book Painted Poems was published in 1988, the year of his death.

Hayman exhibited widely in Britain, New Zealand and Canada. His work was included in Tate’s major 1985 exhibition St Ives 1939–64: Twenty-five Years of Painting, Sculpture and Pottery, and a touring retrospective followed in 1990.

Interest in Hayman’s work has continued to grow since his death. His paintings are held in public collections in Britain and New Zealand, including Tate and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.