Antony Micallef is a British contemporary artist and painter working in London. He appeared on the British art scene after being a prize winner of the

BP Portrait Award The BP Portrait Award is an annual portraiture competition held at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England. It is the successor to the John Player Portrait Award. It is the most important portrait prize in the world, and is reputedly ...

competition. Since then, his mix of political imagery fused with

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

has won him worldwide acclaim. Recent exhibitions include group shows at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

and the

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...

. His paintings examine the contemporary relationship with consumerism and branding among other themes. His work concerns itself with what he sees as the "frivolities" of pop culture in a process that has been dubbed "critical pop".

Art

A graduate in

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

from the

University of Plymouth The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England. With students, it is the ...

, Micallef's practice has been summarized as 'critical pop', exposing the darker side of our consumerist society and the

human condition The human condition is all of the characteristics and key events of human life, including birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death. This is a very broad topic that has been and continues to be pondered and analyzed fr ...

. His use of neutral colors and depictions of the human form delve beyond

pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * Pop (Gas al ...

and bring to the surface many of the things that operate underneath the cultural construct. Aspects of Micallef's work examines our dichotomous relationship with

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the supp ...

, questioning how we can despise multi-national brands yet still allow ourselves to be seduced by them. He frequently uses the union of two opposites to make an intriguing chemistry. His painting style has been compared to

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

and is seen as an

amalgamation Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan am ...

of influences from the old masters such as

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...

and Velázquez to more modern contemporary photographers and

graphic artists A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published me ...

. His depiction of the human body and mark making echo his teachings from John Virtue, a former student of

Frank Auerbach Frank Helmut Auerbach (born 29 April 1931) is a German-British painter. Born in Germany, he has been a naturalised British subject since 1947. He is considered one of the leading names in the School of London, with fellow artists Francis Bacon ...

. The rawness of expressionistic

painterly Painterliness is a concept based on ''german: malerisch'' ('painterly'), a word popularized by Swiss art historian Heinrich Wölfflin (1864–1945) to help focus, enrich and standardize the terms being used by art historians of his time to cha ...

marks work in stark contrast to the more graphic elements which surface throughout his work. In ''Raw Intent,'' a 2016 series of self-portraits, Micallef moved his focus away from social critique and more toward depicting emotion, saying, "This body of work I’m making now is really about being human." From 18 June 2007

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

catalogue: In 2012, to accompany the ''AKA Peace Exhibition'' at the

Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...

(ICA),

Art Below Ben Moore (born 25 May 1978)Nick Curtis''London Evening Standard'', 25 May 2010. is a British art curator, entrepreneur and artist. He is the founder and curator of Art Below, a contemporary art organisation that places art in public spaces and ...

showcased selected works from the ''AKA Peace'' series on the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

including Micallef's. "AKA Peace," originally conceived by photographer Bran Symondson and now curated by artist

Jake Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...

, was an exhibition of new works made for The

Peace One Day Peace One Day is a non-profit organisation whose objective is to institutionalise the International Day of Peace. It was founded in 1999 by British documentary filmmaker and actor Jeremy Gilley. History In 1999 Jeremy Gilley desired there be ...

Project 2012, bringing together a group of Contemporary Artists, all of whom agreed to transform a decommissioned

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...

assault rifle, refashioning it into works of art.

Penguin Books cover

In 2017, Micallef had his work selected for the cover of Penguin Books' edition of ''The Outsider'' by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

Social media

Micallef embraces social media and its ability to showcase his artwork to the masses, but he is also highly critical of the highly curated version of life portrayed on most social platforms.

Controversy

London Underground had commissioned Micallef for a piece of artwork to depict one of the

stations of the cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

however in the last minute became subject to censorship for the use of the tagline 'kill your idol' found in the artwork. ''"To my dismay I found out at the last minute the London Underground have decided to pull the piece from the show apparently because of the title ‘Kill your idol’ in the middle of the panel in the painting

' Micallef's most recent controversial piece is the political satire of Donald Trump using cigarette packets as his canvas, rendering the at that time Republican nominee on the front of a cigarette packet bearing the now familiar "Smoking kills" tagline. Micallef intends to highlight the threat that Trump poses to society. As he explains, ''"I thought a warning sign of the imminent danger of a narcissistic sociopath fitted aptly into the concept."'' having been displayed as part of the group show the controversial 'Why I Want To Fuck Donald Trump' exhibition at New York's Joshua Liner Gallery in 2016. Micallef's Trump pieces were used for both the protest marches In L.A and In Washington D.C for the Women's March after the inauguration of the 45th President. The image had also been used for a Placebo concert in Mexico in 2017, again in protest at the new president. Also, a fake news story image of the 43rd President George Bush painting the image had gone viral and used in the publication of ''

The Big Issue ''The Big Issue'' is a street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. ''The Big Issue'' is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or indivi ...

.''

Critical reception

Paul Moorhouse the head of collection displays (Victorian to contemporary) and senior curator 20th-century collections at the national portrait gallery essay '''The Brutality of Appearance: Antony Micallef’s Self-Portraits','' explores the physicality, the fleshliness and violence of Micallef's work, ''"While maintaining an illusionistic intimation of space and background, his portraits present a figure as if it has been subjected to an intense traum

' all the while contextulising him within the canon of art history and the painted portrait. In 2011 a piece by Andrew Perry for Telegraph said ''"Antony Micallef’s riotous paintings are a gleeful attack on consumerism."'' Also calling Antony "''one of Britain’s most electrifying young painters".'' In a piece by editor Dylan Jones of GQ Magazine, GQ magazine in 2015 Antony is hailed to ''"change the face of modern portraiture".'''' ''the piece describes Antony and his work as raw and painterly giving particular praise to the honesty of his portraits and the connection between him and the painter

stating, ''"Surely if there is a man to whom Auerbach should pass his torch then it is Micallef".''

Artist statement

Solo exhibitions

* 2016, Pearl Lam, Raw Intent, Pedder Building Space, Hong Kong, China * 2015, Lazarides, Self, Rathbourne, London, UK * 2012, Lazarides, A Little Piece of Me, The Outsiders London, UK * 2011, Lazarides, Happy Deep Inside My Heart, Rathbourne, London, UK * 2009, Lazarides, Becoming Animal, Rathbourne, London, UK * 2007, Lazarides, Impure Idols, Los Angeles, USA * 2006, Lazarides, It's A Wonderful World, London, UK * 2006, Eyestorm, Antony Micallef, Milian, Italy * 2005, National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria

Selected group exhibitions

* 2017, Art Busan, Korea * 2017, Nottingham Castle Museum, Reportrait, Nottingham, UK * 2017, Pearl Lam, Art Brussels, Belgium * 2017, Pearl Lam, Art Basel, Hong Kong, China * 2017, Pearl Lam, Art stage, Singapore, Malaysia * 2016, Pearl Lam, Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, China * 2016, Joshua Liner Gallery, Why I Want to Fuck Donald Trump, New York, USA * 2016, Pearl Lam, Art stage, Jakarta, Indonesia * 2016, Royal College of Art, Secret Postcard Exhibition, (charity supporting younger artists) UK * 2016, Pearl Lam, Art Basel, Hong Kong, China * 2016, Pearl Lam, Art stage Singapore, Malaysia * 2015, Pearl Lam, Art Seoul, South Korea * 2015, Pearl Lam, Expo Chicago, USA * 2015, Pearl Lam, Sydney Contemporary, Australia * 2015, Pearl Lam, West Bund Art Centre, Shanghai, China * 2015, Pearl Lam, Harpers Bazaar Indonesia Art Fair, Jakarta, Indonesia * 2014, Royal Academy, Royal Academy Summer Show, London, UK * 2014, Kill your Idol, St Marylebone Parish Church, London, UK * 2014, Dallas Contemporary, MTV RE:DEFINE, Goss Micheal Foundation, Dallas, USA * 2014, Lazarides, Art14 London, London, UK * 2013, Copelouzos Familay Art Museum, Athens, Greece * 2013, National Museum of Warsaw, Nowa Sztuka, Poland * 2013, Saatchi Gallery, Artwars, London, UK * 2012, Lazarides, Pop-up, The Old Vic Tunnels, Bedlam, London, UK * 2012, The Institute of Contemporary Arts, Peace One Day, London, UK * 2011, Bertrand & Gruner, Cabinet de Curiosities, Geneva, Switzerland * 2011, Lazarides Pop-up, Old Vic Tunnels, Minotaur, London, UK * 2010, Lazarides, Hells Half Acre Show, Old Vic Tunnels, London, UK * 2010, Lazarides, Eurotrash, Los Angeles, USA * 2009, Tunnel 228, London, UK
Antony Micallef participates in Tunnel 228, a show featuring over 20 artists and the theatre company

Punchdrunk Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse o ...

. A

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

-inspired exhibition with a mixture of art and live performance by actors. Located in the tunnels off

Leake Street Leake Street (also known as the Banksy Tunnel) is a road tunnel in Lambeth, London where graffiti is tolerated regardless of the fact that it is against the law. The street is about 300 metres long, runs off York Road, Lambeth, York Road and u ...

underneath

Waterloo station Waterloo station (), also known as London Waterloo, is a central London terminus on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom, in the Waterloo area of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is connected to a London Underground station of t ...

and directed by

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...

. * 2009, UN and Roddick Foundation, Journey, Washington Place, New York, USA * 2009, Lazarides, Grow Up, London, UK * 2008 -2009, Tate Britain, London, UK
Antony Micallef along with

Paula Rego Paula or PAULA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Paula, in video game ''EarthBound'' * Paula, in ''The Larry Sanders Show'' * Paula Campbell (''EastEnders''), in 2003 Film and television * ''Paula'' (1915 film), a si ...

and Mark Hearld were invited to take part in the 50th anniversary celebration of the famous Curwen Studios. To commemorate the occasion they exhibited a special limited edition

lithograph Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

print in the

(Goodison Room). * 2008, The Royal Academy GSK Contemporary, London, UK
Antony Micallef was invited by the RA to take part in a group show showcasing new contemporary artists. Displaying 4 bronze nickel-plated 13 ft sculptures in the forecourt (Burlington Gardens). Parasite. Also displaying three meter square paintings inside the academy. * 2008, Lazarides Pop-up, The Outsiders New York, New York, USA * 2008, The Outsiders, Outsiders, London, UK * 2007, Santa's Ghetto Bethlehem, Manger Square, Palestine
Micallef participated in Santa's Ghetto in

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

, a group show with over 30 international artists that raised almost $1 million to provide funding for local students attending Dar a-Kalima College, the only dedicated arts university in the Middle East. From this exhibition Micallef produced a body of work documenting his time spent behind the wall. * 2006, Arcuate Arte Contemporaneo, Another Fucking Collective, Mexico * 2006, National Portrait Gallery, Mystery Portrait Exhibition, London, UK * 2005, ManHan Gallery, 44 Boards: Human Rights Coalition, Ohio, USA * 2005, Alphabet Gallery, How I learned to Stop Working and Love the Bomb, London, UK * 2005, Millenaris Park, Budapest, Hungary
Micallef represented the UK in an international exhibition looking at

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

. Micallef was invited by the directors of Millenaris Park, a government-funded arts organization to paint on a

Trabant Trabant () is a series of small cars produced from 1957 until 1991 by former East German car manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau. In total, four different models were made, the Trabant 500, Trabant 600, Trabant 601, and the Tra ...

car, the icon of the

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

era. * 2006, 'Eyestorm', Milan, Italy
Antony Micallef presents a sell-out solo exhibition in the heart of

Milan, Italy Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

. The exhibition showcases a series of specially commissioned limited edition

prints. As well as being exhibited in Milan the prints were also on show at the

British Embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding honorary consulates. The UK has one of the largest global networks of diplomatic missions. UK diplomatic missions to capitals of other Com ...

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

alongside

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...

, Peter Blake, and

Richard Davidson Richard J. Davidson (born December 12, 1951) is professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as well as founder and chair of the Center for Healthy Minds and the affiliated non-profit Healthy Minds Innovations. ...

. * 2004, A.D Gallery, California, USA * 2000, The National Portrait Gallery, London, UK
Antony Micallef wins second prize in the

competition the first time he enters. This is seen as the catalyst for his future career.

References

External links

Scholarly articles

Paul Moorehouse, ''The Brutality of Appearance: Antony Micallef’s Self-Portraits'.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Micallef, Antony 1975 births Living people 20th-century English painters 21st-century English painters Alumni of the University of Plymouth English male painters People from Swindon 20th-century English male artists 21st-century English male artists