Draft:Paul Kenton
British contemporary artist (born 1968)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Kenton (born 1968) is a British contemporary artist based in North Devon, known for his cityscape paintings of cities including London, New York and Paris.[1][2] His work is characterised by layered compositions in mixed media, incorporating dripped lines, bold colour and gestural marks, executed on surfaces including aluminium, copper, wood and canvas.[3] In 2012, he was commissioned to produce three large-scale paintings for the London Olympic Games.[4]
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Early life and education
Kenton was born in Derby and moved with his family to North Devon at the age of eight.[5] He showed an early interest in painting, and at the age of twelve won a national colouring competition.[5] During his school years he worked primarily in watercolour, painting scenes of the North Devon coast, and developed a passion for surfing that has remained a recurring influence on his work.[4]
Unable to secure a place at art college due to his English grades, Kenton studied for a Bachelor of Engineering at Stafford University (now Staffordshire University).[5][6] After graduating, he worked as a draughtsman for several years while continuing to paint in his spare time.[5] In 1995, with the support of a grant from the Prince's Youth Business Trust, he became a full-time professional artist.[5][7]
Career
Artistic style
Kenton began his professional career working in watercolour, but his technique gradually evolved over the following decades into a more experimental mixed-media approach.[3] His mature work is created primarily in textured layers of oils or acrylics on aluminium, copper, wood and canvas, resulting in a largely impressionistic style.[3] He regularly paints en plein air in both urban and rural settings to gather reference material for larger studio works.[4] His subjects extend beyond cityscapes to include seascapes, mountainscapes and motorsport scenes, and he has cited the early work of Claude Monet as an influence.[6] He works from a studio in a converted railway building in Ilfracombe, North Devon.[5]
Exhibitions and commissions
Kenton's work has been exhibited in more than thirty galleries across the United Kingdom.[4] His paintings are represented by Castle Fine Art (part of the Washington Green Fine Art group) and have been sold through galleries nationwide.[8]
In 2008, Kenton was invited to paint live in the windows of Harrods, Knightsbridge, in support of an exhibition at Halcyon Gallery, reportedly the first artist to do so.[9]
In 2010, he was selected as a participating artist in Elephant Parade London, a public art exhibition of 258 decorated life-sized baby elephant sculptures staged across the city in support of the Elephant Family charity.[10]
In 2012, Kenton received a commission to create three large paintings for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; these works were displayed at the Olympic Park for the duration of the Games.[4][1] That same year, he was chosen as a contributing artist for The Big Egg Hunt, one of the largest interactive public art displays held in London.[4]
In 2015, Kenton was among the artists commissioned to produce work for the exhibition Pelé: Art Life Football at Halcyon Gallery, marking the 75th birthday of Brazilian footballer Pelé. Kenton painted Pelé from life, producing five portrait works for the exhibition.[11]
In 2016, Kenton participated in a collaboration between SEGA Europe and Washington Green Fine Art to mark the 25th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. The Sonic 25 collection featured 25 original pieces from several British artists, with each limited edition print co-signed by the artist and Naoto Ohshima, one of the original designers of the Sonic character.[12]
In August 2025, Kenton held a solo exhibition titled Liquid Layers at HENI Gallery in Soho, London, his first London solo show since 2019. The exhibition featured two series: Indian Paper Works, consisting of 129 ink and watercolour works on handmade Indian paper, and Studio Works, comprising 31 mixed media paintings created between 2023 and 2025.[13]