Hamish Blakely was born in Canterbury in 1968 and developed an interest in art from an early age. Whether it was sketching his favourite comic book superheroes or drawing caricatures of his school teachers, a childhood affinity for art paved the way for a successful career for Hamish.

 

He studied illustration at Wimbledon School of Art and completed his degree at Kingston University shortly after which he became a professional illustrator. During this time his clients included The Body Shop, British Telecom and Cable and Wireless and he was chosen to paint two front covers for the world renowned author of ‘Schindler’s List’, Thomas Keneally.

 

At the same time, he and his wife Gail set up and curated their own shows in London, leading to a solo display in the Thomas Kettle Gallery in Covent Garden. The show, entitled ‘Do not Disturb’, explored genetic manipulation and its effects on its patients. The entire collection showed an increasing interest in physicality and lighting that was to become the hallmarks of his later work.

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Inspired by the beauty of the female form, his artworks hint at deeper, primal forces. Using a rich colour palette, Hamish paints with finesse while creating a tactile surface achieved with layer upon layer of heavily-applied pigment. He cites his wife Gail as the muse for his pieces.

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Hamish says: “I have completely changed the way I paint over decades. In fact, I am proud, not conceited, to write that I now paint in a way that I would have thought impossible twenty, thirty years ago.”