Art
Adeola Gay
In this series, Artsy’s curators feature a group of emerging and noteworthy artists who are working in a similar style or spirit as well-known artists.
This month, we’re highlighting artists in dialogue with David Hockney, the acclaimed British artist whose paintings feature swimming pools, palm trees, and characterful interiors. In a career spanning more than seven decades, Hockney has had major retrospectives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Tate Britain, among others, and his work consistently fetches eight-figure prices at auction. He is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Here are eight artists that fans of David Hockney should know.
B. 1996, London. Lives and works in Rye, England.
Informed by his architectural background, British artist Alfie Caine uses windows and doors to frame idyllic dreamscapes filled with subtle intrigue. Whether seen from the outside looking in or from the inside looking out, Caine’s color-soaked, detailed interiors and captivating landscapes, painted at large scale, embody a quiet stillness. From candle-lit bathrooms to kitchens bathed in natural light, the artist creates inviting scenes that mirror Hockney’s serene settings.
In his most recent solo exhibition, “Green Stairway and Yellow Roses,” presented by MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique in Paris, Caine exhibited two new paintings inspired by his home in East Sussex. Each scene unfolds under soft light, with long shadows and the absence of movement giving a sense of time standing still.
In 2018, Caine earned a BA in architecture from the University of Cambridge. His work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions at UNION Gallery, JARILAGER Gallery, PM/AM, and Jack Siebert Projects.
B. 1982, Dunfermline, Scotland. Lives and works in Dunfermline.
In her intimate oil paintings, Scottish artist Caroline Walker explores the interior lives of women, revealing the unseen labor often performed in domestic settings. Walker’s subjects are anonymous, reflecting everyday lives—whether of service workers, caregivers, or mothers.
Walker’s “Sunset” series, debuted in a solo show at Anat Ebgi in 2018, delves into the life of a former pageant queen residing in the Hollywood Hills. Through portrayals of warm Californian evenings and playful poolside moments—a familiar setting within Hockney’s oeuvre—the artist offers fragmented perspectives of her subject’s life.
Walker holds a BA in painting from the Glasgow School of Art and an MA in painting from the Royal College of Art. She has mounted solo exhibitions at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Stephen Friedman Gallery, GRIMM, and the Midlands Arts Centre. This year, she is featuring in a group show at the British Museum and a touring exhibition organized by the Hayward Gallery.
B. 1990, Somerset, England. Lives and works in Guernsey, Channel Islands.
Influenced by the drawings of Frank Lloyd Wright and R. Buckminster Fuller and the architecture of the 1960s and ’70s, English artist Charlotte Keates paints interiors that blur the line between reality and the uncanny. Using detailed linework, Keates creates graphically flat compositions that reference the sunken living rooms and split-level designs of the mid-century modern era. Rhythmic patterns play across her surfaces, from speckled floors to tiled walls—all awash with bright strokes of color.
As the title of her painting Silent Spectator (2024) suggests, Keates invites viewers to observe her imagined scenes like voyeuristic onlookers. Entirely devoid of people, these settings invite speculation about the narratives that exist beyond the frame.
In 2013, Keates received a BA in fine art from Falmouth University. She has exhibited at Arusha Gallery and Cynthia Corbett Gallery, and her work has been featured on the cover of Architectural Digest.
B. 1980, Wakefield, Massachusetts. Lives and works in New York.
Framed by mountains and sweeping valleys, Daniel Heidkamp’s otherworldly landscapes and interiors capture the magic of fleeting moments. Inspired by his travels and art historically significant landscapes—from the French town of Céret, where Pablo Picasso once worked, to the artists’ colony in Gloucester, Massachusetts—the New York–based painter takes viewers on a journey through quaint villages and seaside towns. With their ultra-saturated colors, Heidkamp’s canvases draw on the legacy of Fauvism—an influence he shares with Hockney.
Heidkamp holds a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He has exhibited across Europe and the U.S., and his work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Half Gallery, Loyal, Pace Prints, The Journal Gallery, and White Columns. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
B. 1977, Haifa, Israel. Lives and works in Tel Aviv and Marseille, France.
Bursting with brilliant color and texture, Guy Yanai’s collage-like paintings bring everyday objects and spaces to life. Employing basic geometric forms within flattened compositions, Yanai pares down the details, creating simple yet striking representations of contemporary leisure and domesticity. Yanai’s quotidian subjects include striped sailboats, potted plants, and lived-in interiors, which conjure a calming atmosphere similar to that found in Hockney’s work.
Yanai received his BA from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, after studying at numerous institutions including the Parsons School of Design and the New York Studio School. His solo exhibitions include presentations at Harper’s, König Galerie, Miles McEnery Gallery, and Praz-Delavallade.
B. 1977, Boston. Lives and works in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles–based artist Jonas Wood moves seamlessly between portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and domestic scenes, capturing the energy of contemporary life. Punctuated by lively patterns and vibrant color, Wood’s paintings and works on paper serve as a tool for exploration, challenging perceptions of the everyday through the use of familiar imagery.
Steeped in art history from a young age, Wood pays homage to a number of influential artists—including Picasso, whose Cubist approach to perspective he often emulates, and Henri Matisse, with whom he appeared in a two-person exhibition at Nahmad Contemporary in 2023. David Hockney, too, is a direct influence. “Hockney veers into the extreme abstract, but still holds onto the thread of representation. He’s always pushed the boundaries as a representational painter,” Wood has said of the artist. “That’s why I’m drawn to him—because of this constant invention.”
Wood earned an MFA in painting and drawing from the University of Washington, Seattle. His work is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and The Broad, among others.
B. 1983, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lives and works in Kuala Lumpur.
In paintings and mixed-media installations, Malaysian artist Justin Lim captures lively scenes of indoor-outdoor living. Overflowing with flora, bold patterns, and colorful decor, his work draws inspiration from the playful energy of cartoons and comic books. Lim’s fascination with interiors has stemmed partially from his experience during COVID-19 lockdowns, which he has said pushed him to look inward. This influence is especially evident in The year of hermits 隐居之年 (2022), which utilizes vibrant acrylics to depict a lone figure curled up on a sofa, eyes glued to their phone—a powerful image of isolation.
Lim completed his artistic training in Singapore, earning a BFA in painting from Lasalle College of the Arts and an MFA from Open University. He has exhibited widely in Southeast Asia, and in 2023 was shortlisted for the Sovereign Art Foundation’s Asian Art Prize.
B. 1985, Warsaw. Lives and works in Poland.
Magdalena Laskowska’s picturesque poolsides embody a sense of effortless California cool. Featuring beach balls, deck chairs, and cloudless blue skies, these minimalist paintings are meticulously staged, reminiscent of curated Instagram feeds. Yet—like many of Hockney’s takes on this signature motif—these scenes are always unpopulated, creating a sense of loneliness that hangs over their manicured glamor.
Laskowska studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw. A prolific artist, she has had work exhibited across Warsaw and internationally, including in numerous fair presentations with Contempop Gallery.
AG
Adeola Gay
Adeola Gay is Artsy’s Curatorial Manager.