John King is a figurative artist whose expressive paintings explore the relationship between observation, colour, light and darkness, moving between the human figure and the intensity of the natural world.
John King is a figurative artist whose practice centres on observation, drawing and expressive painting. After studying Fine Art and Illustration, John’s artistic journey was shaped by family responsibilities and three years working in the mining industry before he returned to art. His work has long focused on the human figure through portraiture and life drawing, but since 2016 he has also explored large-scale paintings of flower meadows. Combining vivid colour with energetic brushwork and deep, almost black shadows, these paintings explore the relationship between beauty and darkness, light and uncertainty. Alongside his own practice, John works with adults with learning disabilities and runs life-drawing and painting classes in the Chesterfield area.