Gary Hume was born in Kent in 1962 and attended London’s Goldsmiths University together with a group of artists who would become known as the Young British Artists. This group included Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas. He graduated in 1988 and went on to represent Britain in the 48th Venice Biennale.
His artworks often feature startling colour combinations made with a very high gloss enamel paint. His paintings and sculptures are colourful, visually simplified explorations of objects ranging from flowers to animals, celebrities and portraits of family and friends. He uses aspects of everyday life rendered in planes of colour, bold outlines and silhouettes.
This work, “Vicious” is inspired by the Lou Reed song with the opening lyric “you hit me with a flower”. Hume set out to create an image of violent beauty by overlaying a dark silhouette of an athletic image of Mussolini over a background of vibrant flowers.
He has exhibited internationally including shows at the Tate Britain and Museum of Modern Art New York. He now lives and works between London and New York.
