Annie Kevans
Annie Kevans is a London-based painter who primarily works with portraits of figures from history and our contemporary world. of overlooked, exploited, or objectified figures in history and contemporary culture. She studied at Central Saint Martins (1997–2004) and explores ideas of power, manipulation, and the role of the individual in inherited belief systems. Kevans describes the portraits she makes as ‘anti-portraits’ because they are not created for descriptive likeness, but rather due to the concepts they represent. These works often present controversial subjects with humanity and sensuality; such as her series Boys, which presents dictators in a state of wide-eyed childhood innocence. This engages with her understanding that a person’s identity is a shifting temporary construction. She was a finalist in both the Jerwood Drawing Prize (2006) and Women of the Future Award (2007).
Further Reading
Annie Kevans: Women and the History of Art. London: The Fine Art Society Contemporary, 2014. Exhibition catalogue.
Annie Kevans (artist website). www.anniekevans.com.
Selected Collections
David Roberts Foundation
Pallant House Gallery
Saatchi Collection
