Mick Hollingworth: Biography

Mick Hollingworth: Biography

Mick Hollingworth was born in the Midlands in 1945. He graduated to Colchester School of Art in 1964. Hollingworth attended the Nottingham College of Art in 1965. Here, he found important inspiration from two people in particular: David Willetts and John Addyman.

After completing his Dip.A.D, he moved to Stockholm, Sweden, where he taught English. He met the Etzler Family, and Johan Etzler organized two exhibitions of his work around this time. The first was with Niki De St. Phalle at the Spånga Cultural Centre in 1969 and a second solo show followed at The Trappan Gallery, Vällingby in 1970.

Hollingworth moved to Norwich, and met Bill English, The Principal of Norwich School of Art. English encouraged Hollingworth to join the Norfolk and Norwich Arts Society and he was opted onto the society's committee latterly. He also exhibited in Ipswich, Colchester and various East Anglian venues. Hollingworth then moved to Sudbury, Suffolk where his friend John Addyman was living. Here, he joined the Gainsborough House Committee and with Addyman, helped to set up The Print Workshop. 

In 1980 and 1982, Hollingworth had two Arts Council funded exhibitions at Gainsborough House with recent work, including portraits.

In 1992 Hollingworth was invited to join the Chelsea Arts Club, where he had a solo exhibition. This lead to a joint exhibition at the Janus Aulson Gallery, Camden Town, London in 1993. Hollingworth has had his art displayed in various venues around Europe, including Der Lammgasse Gallery, Nuremberg and The Ag. Galini Arts Festival, Crete.  

He retired from teaching in 2005 and from then on has worked as a full-time painter. A joint exhibition was held with Colin Dales at Gallery 47, Sudbury in 2011 and a year later he had a solo exhibition at The Digby Gallery in Colchester, 2012.

Recently, collected imagery from Greece over the past fifteen years or more has begun to take precedence in his imagery. He is constantly working on new material.