UNIPA News(London) 14 June-David Hockney, one of Britain’s most influential and widely admired artists, has died at the age of 88, ending a career that spanned more than seven decades and transformed contemporary art through painting, photography, printmaking, stage design, and digital media.

Hockney was known not only for his artistic achievements but also for his outspoken personality. He famously declined several requests to paint Queen Elizabeth II, stating that he only painted people he knew personally. He also publicly criticized fellow artist Lucian Freud’s 2001 portrait of the Queen, arguing that it failed to capture what he described as her “marvellous” skin.

Throughout his life, Hockney remained a vocal critic of government policies he viewed as restrictive, including Britain’s public smoking ban introduced in 2007. Rarely seen without a cigarette, he often defended smoking as part of his creative routine and frequently referenced renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and J.M.W. Turner as lifelong smokers.

Born in Bradford, England, in 1937, Hockney developed an interest in art at an early age. He later earned a scholarship to Bradford Grammar School before studying at the Royal College of Art in London, where he emerged as one of the most promising British artists of the 1960s.

Hockney gained international recognition through his vivid depictions of California, particularly his iconic swimming pool paintings. His work explored themes of identity, sexuality, landscape, and perception, often reflecting his personal experiences and relationships.

Openly gay at a time when homosexuality remained illegal in Britain, Hockney challenged social norms through works that depicted same-sex relationships. His early painting “We Two Boys Together Clinging” became one of several pieces that openly addressed homosexual themes.

His relationship with American art student Peter Schlesinger inspired some of his most celebrated works. Following their separation in 1972, Hockney created “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures),” which later became one of the most expensive artworks ever sold by a living artist when it fetched approximately £69 million at auction in 2018.

Beyond painting, Hockney continuously experimented with new forms of artistic expression. In the 1980s, he gained attention for his photographic “joiner” collages and later embraced digital technology, creating artworks on iPads and tablets. His large-scale landscape paintings of Yorkshire and Normandy further demonstrated his willingness to reinvent his practice.

Hockney also sparked debate within the art world by arguing that many Old Masters may have used optical devices such as the camera obscura to achieve greater realism. The theory generated significant controversy but reflected his lifelong interest in how artists perceive and represent reality.

Despite suffering from hearing loss, respiratory problems, and declining health in later years, Hockney continued to work actively. His major retrospective in Paris in 2025 brought together around 400 works and was widely praised by critics and visitors.

In early 2026, he received France’s prestigious Légion d’Honneur and staged his first solo exhibition at London’s Serpentine Galleries. The exhibition featured “A Year In Normandie,” a monumental panoramic work inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and created from more than 100 individual iPad paintings.

Even as his health deteriorated and he relied on a wheelchair, Hockney remained committed to his work. In his final months, he continued painting and publicly stated his determination to work every day.

Although he declined a knighthood during his lifetime, Hockney accepted membership in the Order of Merit in 2012, one of Britain’s highest honors. His legacy endures through a body of work that reshaped modern art and influenced generations of artists around the world.