Tony Bevan British, b. 1951

Tony Bevan, born in Bradford, Yorkshire, in 1951, is known for his graphic paintings and drawings, constructed with jet-black charcoal and pigment-rich acrylics. With raw, physical energy, he renders a range of subjects – from self-portraits to architectural forms – through networks of lacerated vertical and diagonal lines, set against vivid backdrops of red, scorched orange, or cobalt blue. Bevan’s work blurs the line between figuration and abstraction, reimagining faces and interiors as part of broader, expressive compositions. His practice pushes the boundaries of figure-based painting, exploring themes of psychological space, the architecture of the mind, the passage of time, and the body’s inevitable decay.

 

Bevan studied at the Bradford School of Art, Yorkshire, between 1968 and 1971, followed by Goldsmiths College between 1971 and 1974 and the Slade School of Fine Art between 1974 and 1976, both in London. Bevan has exhibited internationally since 1976, holding his first US solo exhibitions at Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York, in 1988 and L.A. Louver gallery, California, in 1989. Bevan has exhibited at prominent institutions around the world, with solo exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst, Munich; Whitechapel Gallery, London; and the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. In 2005, a major retrospective of Bevan’s work was held at the Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia. In 2007, Bevan was elected a Royal Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. His work is included in many prominent private and public collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and National Portrait Gallery and Tate, both in London.