Bio – Antony Micallef

Antony Micallef is a British contemporary artist working in London. Described as a modern Expressionist and widely recognised as one of the finest painters in contemporary art today, Micallef roots his work in social commentary and self-examination and is known for his visually charged works. He was notably taught by the austere landscape painter John Virtue, who in turn was under the tutelage of postwar painter Frank Auerbach.

The artist’s recent paintings assemble a relief-like surface with heavy paint to depict a portrait in front of a muted background. Using an impasto technique and layering effects, the material is pushed to its extreme and blurs our reading of painting and sculpture. His heavily laden, texture-rich canvases are reminiscent of artists as diverse as Frank Auerbach, Leon Kossoff, the Russian-French painter Chaim Soutine and the British painter Walter Sickert, whose works explore and ultimately foreground the pure materiality of the medium of paint. All these artists are united by the desire to exploit the expressive possibilities of oil paint, with the emotional power of material form on canvas seen as an end in itself. For Micallef, painting takes on qualities of a fierce struggle in which the paint is thrown onto and knocked off the canvas.

Micallef’s recent paintings demonstrate his unique approach, whereby he transforms oil paint into a physical, sculptural form. His innovative techniques enable him to capture the conflicting emotions within a sitter’s psyche. The background and outer layers of paint serve as a framing device, guiding the viewer’s gaze towards the central composition. The artist’s process involves manipulating oil paint into a malleable material that can be woven and layered, echoing the textures of leather, armour, and intricate floral forms. This tactile quality adds depth and dimensionality to his painting, inviting viewers to engage with the piece on a multisensory level. Micallef revels in the idea of pushing oil paint to its limits, exploring the medium’s full potential. He finds something profoundly captivating about the earthy nature of this mineral-based medium, which he describes as ‘positively intoxicating’ – a fascination that drives him to continually experiment and push the boundaries of traditional oil painting techniques.

Micallef’s paintings are made following years of preparation and cultivating different elements of oil paint, with gestural marks painted and then extracted from the canvas and left to age over time. The process used to compose his paintings can take years due to the medium’s prolonged drying time. Only once inspiration strikes does a painting come together, with disparate elements of aged oil paint gathered across the studio walls and floors, fused, layered, and elaborated at the very end, once again wrested and recast into a new narrative, bringing the cycle of creativity full circle.

In 2023, Micallef produced visuals for Peter Gabriel’s release of i/o. His imagery, made in collaboration with Aardman Animations, was showcased in the music video for the song Love Can Heal, which Peter Gabriel wrote to commemorate the late Labour MP Jo Cox. Micallef calls this work a small painting of what I think love looks like,’ which was also shown in concert for Peter Gabriel’s world tour of i/o, alongside other artists such as Ai WeiWei and Cornelia Parker. A video of the collaborative work can be viewed online, and an interview with Peter Gabriel discussing Antony Micallef’s work watched here.

Micallef was selected as one of Louis Vuitton’s Visionaries and took part in the world tour showcasing his work from 2021–22. His paintings are featured in collections worldwide, with two pieces in the permanent collection of the Design Museum in London. He has also exhibited in group shows in prominent institutions such as The National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Academy, Tate Britain, and the ICA.

About Antony Micallef