British artist David Hockney, considered one of the most important art figures of the 20th century, has died aged 88.
Hockney emerged during the Pop Art movement of the 1960s, but his career had remarkable longevity, with his work exploring many different styles and themes over the decades. He is best known for his swimming pool images depicting 1960s California, exemplified in paintings such as A Bigger Splash and Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures). Throughout his career, Hockney embraced a wide range of techniques, including photo collage and abstract landscapes, and in his later years experimented with emerging 3D technology.
In a statement, his representatives confirmed his passing: “The celebrated British artist David Hockney, one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries, passed away peacefully at home on 11 June 2026, one month short of his 89th birthday.”
They added: “David Hockney’s enduring legacy reflects his enthusiasm for life, his outstanding sense of humour, his immense generosity and his investigative curiosity, encapsulated by his signature phrase: Love Life.”
He is survived by his long-time partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, his brothers Philip and John, and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute, with a spokesperson saying: “The prime minister is saddened to hear of the death of David Hockney, one of Britain’s most celebrated artists. His vivid, instantly recognisable work influenced generations of artists, and the prime minister’s thoughts are with his friends and family.”
King Charles III also praised his work, describing Hockney as “a giant of the world of art and painting, a Yorkshireman through and through, and a dear friend and inspiration to so many” in a social media post.
He added: “David was one of life’s true originals, one who wore his genius as lightly as those beloved yellow Crocs of his that helped brighten Palace occasions. I trust they will see him tread safely into the hereafter as we mourn a man whose irrepressible charm, talent and constant innovation will be most sorely missed, but whose dazzling creativity lives on in galleries and museums around the world.”
Hockney grew up in Yorkshire before moving to London to study at the Royal College of Art. He later moved to the United States, teaching at the University of Iowa and the University of Colorado. In 1966, he settled in Los Angeles, joining the staff at the University of California, Los Angeles, and later the University of California, Berkeley.
Hockney came out as gay at the age of 23 while still a student, seven years before homosexuality was decriminalised in Britain. He incorporated scenes of gay couples into his work. His 1961 piece We Two Boys Clinging Together took its name from a Walt Whitman poem, while his 1963 work Domestic Scene, Los Angeles depicted two men together in a shower.
Hockney’s painting A Bigger Grand Canyon was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia for USD 4.6 million in 1999. It consists of sixty canvases joined to create a large landscape image.
In 2018, Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures) sold at auction for USD 90 million, setting a record for the most expensive artwork by a living artist. Hockney held the record until 2019, when Jeff Koons’ Rabbit sold for slightly more.
