"What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing. You wouldn’t be an artist unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought."
David Hockney is one of the most celebrated and versatile British artists of the modern era. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he has worked across painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and stage design, constantly reinventing his style and embracing new technologies. Widely recognised as a leading figure of the 1960s Pop Art movement, Hockney’s influence extends far beyond that label, shaping contemporary art with his bold use of colour, inventive compositions and unwavering commitment to exploring new ways of seeing.
After studying at the Bradford School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, Hockney quickly emerged as a key figure in Britain’s avant-garde scene. In 1964 he moved to Los Angeles, where the light, landscape and lifestyle transformed his palette and subject matter. His iconic Californian swimming pool paintings, portraits of friends and lovers and intimate domestic scenes have become some of the most sought-after works in Post War Art. Hockney’s technical mastery extends to printmaking and photography, and in later years he embraced the iPad as a creative tool, producing vibrant digital works that reaffirm his status as an artist ahead of his time. His cross-disciplinary practice has ensured his works are present in major museum collections worldwide, from Tate Britain to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Hockney’s standing in the art market is equally remarkable. His 1972 masterpiece Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold at Christie’s New York in 2018 for $90 million, setting a record for the most expensive artwork ever sold by a living artist at the time. Today, Hockney divides his time between the UK, France, and California, continuing to produce work that captivates critics, collectors, and art lovers alike.