Embrace (Maquette)

Embrace is a maquette for a sculpture originally commissioned for Sainsbury’s supermarket. In 1966, John Wragg RA, won the commission for a sculpture for a precinct in Kings Road, Chelsea, London. The Sculpture, the precinct, and indeed Sainsbury’s, have all gone from Kings Road and ‘Embrace’ was relocated to another branch of Sainsbury’s in Milton Keynes. More recently it moved again to Grafton Park in the same town. [1]

John Wragg studied at York School of Art from 1953 to 1956 and subsequently at the Royal College of Art, London from 1956 to 1960. He went on to teach at Chelsea School of Art from 1961 until 1990. After graduating, Wragg was invited by Erica Brausen to show at the Hanover Gallery in London. Wragg’s first solo exhibitions were held at the Hanover Gallery, London in 1963, 1966 and 1970, and at Galerie Alexandre Iolas, Paris in 1968.

Wragg won the Sainsbury Award in 1960, which introduced him to Sir Robert and Lisa Sainsbury with whom he became good friends. He was elected Royal Academician in 1991.

Calvin Winner, October 2022

[1] Author’s correspondence with the Louise Izod, Public Art Specialist, Milton Keynes Council.