Yvonne Hudson Rusbridge - Biography

(1924-1985). Yvonne Hudson was born in London. She attended the Slade School of Art during the war years when it was removed from London to Oxford. She developed an interest in sculpture during her time at the Slade and gradually settled into ceramic stoneware as her favourite medium. Making many life size sculptures, plus many smaller figures, she also developed an interest in making ceramic wall plaques. In later life she also made many tapestries sometimes in conjunction with fellow Sussex artist Rosalie Williams. Her work was influenced to a large degree by her Christian faith. She was a keen member of the ARBS for many years. Hudson married the farmer John Rusbridge in 1949 and lived in Earnley near Chichester from then on. She had 4 children. She built a large kiln on the farm at Earnley which was big enough to take life size sculptures, the kiln being heated by waste engine oil. Work includes the ceramic tile relief of Minerva in Crane Street, Chichester; a small statue of St Anne above the main door of St Anne’s Church, East Wittering; a large tapestry depicting acts of five Sussex saints in Birdham Church near Chichester; two ceramic panels on each side of the chancel in Earnley Church as well as an alter cloth that is in regular use; an alter cloth tapestry depicting St Richard feeding the hungry of Chichester in the side chapel of West Wittering Church; the St Richard embroideries by Hudson and Rosalie Williams, depicting episodes in the life of St Richard, for Chichester Cathedral; a large ceramic panel on the chapel wall in St Barnabas Hospice in Durrington (lost); a statue of St Richard in St Mary’s Church, Haverford West, in Wales. In Earnley Church there is a stained glass window on the south side of the nave created in Hudson's memory and using some of her designs.(Stained glass by Paul Soderberg). (Source: David Rusbridge)

The works of Yvonne Hudson Rusbridge: