Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903–75) was born and raised in Wakefield, and became one of the 20th-century's most eminent international sculptors, shaped by her early years in Yorkshire.
Known for being a pioneer in modernism, Hepworth helped to forever change the course of British sculpture. The artist created significant sculptures in wood, marble and bronze, often inspired by the organic growth and contours of nature and was passionate that her work should be ‘allowed to breathe’ outdoors. In an interview with The Yorkshire Post in 1962, Hepworth said: ‘It would be very nice just to put sculptures on hill sides or in small valleys; or place them where you think it would be nice for them to be and for everyone to enjoy.’ YSP currently hosts two sculptures by the artist, The Family of Man (1970) and Square with Two Circles (1963).