Overview
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.
 
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Works
  • Tony Bevan, Portrait Boy (PC912), 1991
    Portrait Boy (PC912), 1991
  • Tony Bevan, Self Portrait (PC9213), 1992
    Self Portrait (PC9213), 1992
  • Tony Bevan, Head Horizon (PC967), 1996
    Head Horizon (PC967), 1996
  • Tony Bevan, Tower (PC0711), 2007
    Tower (PC0711), 2007
  • Tony Bevan, Table Top (PC088), 2008
    Table Top (PC088), 2008
  • Tony Bevan, Self Portrait after Messerschmidt (PC106), 2010
    Self Portrait after Messerschmidt (PC106), 2010
  • Tony Bevan, Self Portrait Horizon (PC1913), 2019
    Self Portrait Horizon (PC1913), 2019
  • Tony Bevan, Epistrophy Red White (PC2223), 2022
    Epistrophy Red White (PC2223), 2022
  • Tony Bevan, Self Portrait Neck (PC885), 1988
    Self Portrait Neck (PC885), 1988
  • Tony Bevan, Tree 16 (PC151), 2015
    Tree 16 (PC151), 2015
  • Tony Bevan, Trunk (PC161), 2016
    Trunk (PC161), 2016
  • Tony Bevan, Place (PC178), 2017
    Place (PC178), 2017
  • Tony Bevan, Epistrophy Grey White (PC2213), 2022
    Epistrophy Grey White (PC2213), 2022
  • Tony Bevan, Building (PC247), 2024
    Building (PC247), 2024
  • Tony Bevan, Corridor (PC 9610), 1996
    Corridor (PC 9610), 1996
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