The acclaimed British artist David Hockney has died at the age of 88, his publicist confirmed. Hockney, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern British art, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, just weeks before his 89th birthday.
A Legacy of Reinvention
Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Hockney became renowned for constantly reinventing his artistic practice. He worked across painting, printmaking, photography, stage design, and, in later years, digital art. Among his most celebrated works are A Bigger Splash (1967), the iconic swimming pool painting that defined his California period, and My Parents (1977), one of his most acclaimed portraits.
Statement from Publicist
A statement said: “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.” It added: “David Hockney’s enduring legacy reflects his underlying enthusiasm for life, his outstanding sense of humour, his immense generosity, and his investigative curiosity encapsulated by his signature phrase, Love Life. Details of memorials will follow in due course.”
Life and Career
Hockney was a committed lifelong smoker and campaigned against anti-smoking laws, smoking until the end of his life. He is survived by his long-time partner Jean-Pierre Goncalves de Lima; his great-nephew Richard, who acted as studio assistant in his final years; his brothers Philip and John; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
Hockney embraced printmaking, set design, and photography, evolving to use photocopier and fax machines, computers, iPhone and iPad drawing, and stained glass. He trained at the Bradford School of Art in the 1950s, followed by the Royal College of Art in London, where he graduated with a Gold Medal distinction in 1962. He emerged as one of the seminal talents in the new generation of British artists.
California and Yorkshire Periods
Some of his most famous paintings came from his move to Los Angeles, where he began documenting the Southern California lifestyle. His return to Yorkshire in the early 2000s prompted a renewed engagement with the landscapes of his native country and produced some of his most ambitious oil paintings.
Digital Art and Later Works
The iPhone and iPad became central to Hockney’s practice from 2007 onward, resulting in the vast series The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011. In 2017, he was invited by the Dean of Westminster Abbey to produce the stained-glass Queen’s Window in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, which was unveiled in October 2018.
Honours and Awards
Hockney was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1997 and to the Order of Merit in 2012. In 2026, he became one of the few non-French citizens to be awarded the rank of Officer in France’s prestigious Legion d’Honneur.
