Sonnet is a foundational body of work in which Christian Hook explores the horse as both subject and symbol, creating a series of visual “poems” that reflect movement, lineage, and cultural memory. Focusing on Andalusian and Arabian breeds, the paintings evoke a sense of history shaped by the meeting of Spanish and North African traditions.
Within the series, individual works draw on rich cultural narratives. Al-Andaluz reflects the Islamic history of the Iberian Peninsula, tracing the genetic and cultural origins of the horse in the region. La Alhambra places the subject against the backdrop of Granada’s Moorish palace, merging architectural grandeur with equine grace, while Cartujano at Medici Palace connects the purity of the Carthusian horse with the legacy of Renaissance Florence.
Through layered glazes and fractured compositions, Hook captures the fleeting nature of motion, suggesting not a single moment, but a continuum of time. As an early milestone in his practice, Sonnet establishes many of the ideas that would define his later work: a fascination with time, a sensitivity to cultural narrative, and a commitment to reimagining the horse within a contemporary artistic language.
2013 · 10 works
Al Andaluz
