In 1938, Henderson exhibited two collages at the Guggenheim Jeune alongside artists such as Ernst, Braque, Picasso, Schwitters and Gris.
[4] In the early 1950s he was a member of the Independent Group[6] and taught at the Central School of Art with Anthony Froshaug, Edward Wright and Eduardo Paolozzi.
With Paolozzi, Henderson established Hammer Prints Limited, a design company producing wallpapers, textiles and ceramics that were initially manufactured at Landermere Wharf.
Colin St John Wilson, a long time member of the Independent Group, invited Henderson to form a solo exhibition at the School of Architecture in Cambridge.
[3] Nigel Henderson's work was included in the 1990 Institute of Contemporary Arts exhibition, The Independent Group: Postwar Britain and the Aesthetics of Plenty.
[9] From 6 August to 4 September 1983,[10] the exhibition 'Heads eye Wyn' of Dada-influenced photomontage images of his own head, an obsessive theme in his later work[11] was presented in The Minories, Colchester.
In 2013, A tour of Firstsite exhibition 'Nigel Henderson and Eduardo Paolozzi: Hammer Prints Ltd 1954–1975' was held and followed by tea and cakes at The Minories Cafe.
[12] In addition, The Eastern Pavilions Print Portfolio which can currently be viewed at The Minories, Colchester includes Nigel Henderson's photograph 'Wall Painting.
[14] The photographs were taken during 1949-1956 and cover two distinctive aspects of his life, his time in the East End, especial around Bethnal Green and his interest in the 1950s London Soho jazz scene.
The photographs of Soho’s jazz scene include candid images of Tony Crombie, Ronnie Scott, Lennie Bush and Jack Parnell.