Over the last 10 years Christian Hook has emerged as one of the most significant artistic voices of his generation. Endlessly curious about the world he is an artist of ideas, approaching his multi-layered narratives with a unique blend of intellect and imagination. His dedication to researching ancient cultures, studying anatomy, or keeping up with the latest scientific and technological advances, has led him to create art which is consistently both innovative and adventurous.
Since he was named as Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the year in 2014, Hook’s rise has been meteoric. His work has been recognised with awards and critical acclaim, and several of his paintings are held in important private collections including that of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, as well as in such prestigious public spaces as the Scottish National Gallery, the Museum of Liverpool, the V&A and the Bolton Museum. His celebrated sitters include Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Sir Richard Branson, the Duchess of York, Sir Ian McKellen and most recently, Dame Judi Dench.
Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland’ selected his portrait of actor Alan Cumming from over 100,000 pieces in the collection for his list of ‘100 masterpieces’, alongside works from Rembrandt, Picasso and Matisse, and further recognition came when he was granted the Freedom of the City in Gibraltar, a rare and coveted testament to a distinguished career.
A brilliant communicator and charismatic broadcaster, Hook has also reached out beyond the art establishment, travelling extensively to find subjects which capture the zeitgeist and defying the traditional boundaries between popularity and elitism. He has been the subject of several TV documentaries for Sky Arts, and his own film project, ‘Painting the Invisible’, in which he worked with a team of Nobel Prize-winning scientists to create a completely new kind of art, was hailed as ground breaking.
Hook’s art finds its roots in tradition yet breathes with a contemporary vitality that is both refreshing and nuanced. In an expertly choreographed dance of colour and light, past and present converge to offer multiple viewpoints on a single subject, and his fractured images intersect to create complex and beautiful studies in time and motion. Each piece reflects a deep appreciation for classical art but is driven by his interest in science and philosophy and his ongoing quest for innovation and renewal.
In today’s multimedia landscape, where artistic expression encompasses an unprecedentedly broad spectrum, Hook has achieved something genuinely rare; an authentic and personal style which is not simply recognisable, it is unmistakable. As his 10-year retrospective showed, he has explored many different paths in his search for greater self-expression and artistic truth, and has now confirmed his status as one of the foremost artistic voices of our time.
