David Hepher Self Portrait, 1988

This is a self-portrait by British artist David Hepher, painted while he was a senior lecturer at Chelsea School of Art. A rare figurative work, Hepher is best known for his depictions of the urban landscapes of South London, exploring the scale and ‘austere grandeur’ of the area’s expansive modern social housing estates of the 1960s and 1970s.  

Born in Surrey, Hepher studied at Camberwell School of Art and the Slade. He was a senior lecturer in painting at Chelsea School of Art from 1981 - 1990 and subsequently became professor and head of Undergraduate Painting at the Slade. His work is in public collections including the Tate, the Museum of London, The Arts Council, British Council, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.