John Kirby Me, 2013

In his arresting, enigmatic and often unnerving portraiture, British artist John Kirby addresses the complexities of identity, gender and sexuality. His characteristic, doll-like figures are often described as sublimated self-portraits, in which themes of isolation,  lonneliness, childhood and emotional repression are explored through symbolic narratives.

Born in Liverpool, Kirby trained at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art in London. He has exhibited extensively in Europe and the United States.