Christopher Le Brun is a painter, sculptor and printmaker.
Born in Portsmouth and trained at the Slade and Chelsea Schools of Art in London, Le Brun first appeared in several group exhibitions, such as the influential Zeitgeist exhibition at the Martin-Gropius Bau, Berlin, and from 1980 onwards, in many solo exhibitions in Britain, Europe and America. He was a prizewinner at the John Moores Liverpool exhibitions in 1978 and 1980 and worked in Berlin during 1987-88 as guest of the DAAD artist’s programme.
Between 1990 and 2003 he served as a trustee of the Tate and subsequently of the National Gallery, a period which saw his involvement in the radical developments of Tate at Bankside, Liverpool and St. Ives as well as the masterplan and re-development of the east wing of the National Gallery.
Christopher Le Brun’s first exhibition with Lisson Gallery in his 40-year career consists of a series of large-scale abstract oil paintings he has created over the past two years. The glistening surfaces are testament to the President of the Royal Academy’s acute understanding of colour and his sensitivity to layering, movement and light. Allusions to literature and poetry emerge within the works, as do references to music, seen in the shimmering blues and oranges of the harmonious Concert (2017) pictured below. Equally, influences from Le Brun’s drawing and printmaking practices are noticeable (he has drawn on some surfaces directly with paint tubes).
Christopher Le Brun: New Painting. Lisson Gallery, London, 4 July - 18 August 2018
