Kneeling Figure represents not only Hepworth’s early concern with direct carving but also of the human figure. The natural vertical form of the wood lent itself perfectly to the representation of the kneeling and standing figure whilst the varied nature of the grain and sequence of knots in the wood dictated the outcome of the work. Like many other of her contemporaries these figures reveal her interest in the sculpture of early non-western cultures, in particular African and Egyptian carving particularly apparent in this work.