Biography

Hurvin Anderson is a British painter known for exploring his Jamaican heritage through depictions of verdant Caribbean landscapes, tangled into abstractions rich with cultural references. His work sheds light on the complexity of growing up in England while desiring to reconnect with familial roots, which he accomplishes through a dedication to the medium of painting itself. "This is my practice, I paint—and I try to do other things but I always come back to painting,” he has said. “I find painting a fascinating thing and a constant battle. It's hard enough to be an artist.” The artist also often works through photographs rather than memory, which solidifies the feeling of distance that is woven throughout his oeuvre. Born in 1965 in Birmingham, England, Anderson received his MA in painting from the Royal College of Art in London, where Peter Doig was his professor and served as an important influence. He has shown with Thomas Dane gallery in London and Michael Werner Gallery in New York, and in 2002 completed a Caribbean Contemporary Arts Residency Program in Trinidad. His works can also be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Gallery in London, among others. Anderson lives and works in London, England.