Howard Hodgkin

Born 1932, London, England; Lives in London, England

Born in London, Howard Hodgkin was evacuated to the USA for a period as a child. He returned to Great Britain and had his formal art training at Camberwell (1949-50) and at the Bath Academy of Art (1950-54). A supreme colorist, considered by some critics to be among the finest of contemporary British painters, Hodgkin did not achieve major prominence in the art world until later on in his career.

Hodgkin has said that his paintings and prints start from a precise memory. He looks to abstract forms with an unusual, bright palette to bring the emotions of these memories back to life in a visual medium.  In 1964, Hodgkin made his first visit to India, where he first saw Indian miniature painting. Some people have noted this as an influence on his preference for flat colors and decorative borders. Hodgkin represented Britain in the Venice Biennale in 1984, and was awarded the Turner Prize in 1985. Knighted in 1992, Sir Howard Hodgkin’s work can be found in major collections around the world, including the Tate Gallery, London, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. In 2000, this exceptionally gifted aritst was commissioned to produce a painting for the opening of Tate Modern in London.