Yesterday I met up with my lovely design friend Hazel for a much-needed creative day away at Hauser & Wirth Somerset— a perfect halfway point between where we both live, and one of those places that always feels restorative the moment you arrive.
As an interior designer, I often find that some of the best inspiration comes when you step completely outside your own projects for a while. Not necessarily looking for ideas, but simply allowing yourself time to absorb colour, texture, atmosphere and conversation. Yesterday was exactly that kind of day.
Niki de Saint Phalle, Le Poète et sa Muse, (1999), Installation view, ‘Niki de Saint Phalle & Jean Tinguely. Myths & Machines,’ Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2025
Art, Landscape & Space
Hauser & Wirth Somerset manages to strike such a rare balance between international contemporary art and the quiet beauty of the Somerset landscape. The old farm buildings, softened stone walls, wild planting and open lawns create a setting that feels both refined and completely relaxed.
Before even entering the galleries, the sculpture trail slows you down. Monumental contemporary works sit amongst the gardens and historic buildings in a way that never feels imposed. Instead, the art becomes part of the landscape itself.
Gary Simmons, Untitled (Crow 2), (2023), Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2026
One dark sculptural form — somewhere between raven and mythological creature — crouched low against the old stone walls, while vibrant geometric structures punctuated the lawns with bold flashes of colour. Nearby, Niki de Saint Phalle’s mirrored mosaic sculpture reflected the changing Somerset sky in brilliant fragments of light.
It’s this contrast between ancient textures and contemporary form that makes the entire site so visually compelling.
Keith Tyson, Shadow From A Higher Dimensional Space (with Hole), (2023), Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2026
Angel Otero: Agua Salada
The main reason for our visit was Angel Otero’s exhibition, Agua Salada — his first UK solo exhibition, created during a residency in Somerset.
The title translates as “salt water”, but the exhibition unfolds as something much more layered than that. Ocean, memory, migration, loss and domesticity all seem to collide within the work.
The paintings are enormous, immersive and emotionally charged. At first glance they appear abstract and turbulent, but slowly recognisable forms begin to emerge from within the surface — chairs, tables, shutters, flowers, fragments of interiors and domestic objects suspended amongst crashing waves and fractured spaces.
Otero’s process is extraordinary. He physically layers, scrapes and peels dried oil paint before reconstructing it onto canvas, creating surfaces with incredible depth and movement. Standing close to the paintings, the texture becomes almost sculptural.
What struck me most was the emotional atmosphere running through the exhibition. Despite the scale of the works, there’s an intimacy to them — a feeling that these paintings are carrying memories rather than simply depicting scenes.
One question from the accompanying Education Lab stayed with me throughout the visit:
“What is one thing you keep close?” — Angel Otero
That idea seems to sit at the heart of the exhibition.
Chairs appear abandoned in rising water. Domestic objects drift through unstable landscapes. Rooms are implied rather than fully shown, like memories that are beginning to dissolve around the edges.
As someone who spends so much time thinking about interiors and how people live within spaces, I found that incredibly moving. Homes quietly absorb traces of the people who inhabit them — routines, conversations, grief, comfort, history. The exhibition captured that feeling beautifully.
One line on the gallery wall summed it up perfectly:
“A rocking chair leaves its mark on the floor long after it is gone.”
That stayed with me long after we left.
The Importance of Days Like This
One of the things I value most about days like yesterday is the space they create for conversation and reflection.
After wandering through the galleries and gardens, Hazel and I had lunch at the new Italian restaurant on site before settling into lounge chairs outside in the glorious sunshine. We sat for ages talking about design, work, creativity, clients, colour palettes, homes, travel — all the things that somehow flow more easily when you step away from everyday routines.
There’s something incredibly nourishing about spending time with another creative person in a setting like this. No pressure. No agenda. Just beautiful surroundings, thoughtful art and uninterrupted conversation.
Why Hauser & Wirth Somerset Continues to Inspire
What makes Hauser & Wirth Somerset so special is that it never feels like simply a gallery visit. It’s a complete sensory experience — architecture, landscape, planting, food, art and atmosphere all working together.
For anyone interested in interiors, materiality, texture, art or simply beautiful spaces, it’s endlessly inspiring.
And Angel Otero’s Agua Salada feels particularly relevant right now — thoughtful, emotional and deeply connected to the idea of home, memory and the traces we leave behind within the spaces we inhabit.
A perfect Somerset day.