Qualifications
BA (Hons) Illustration
A Levels: English Literature; Art
Education
September ‘87 - August ‘88
University of Westminster,
Art & Design Foundation Course
September ‘88 - August ‘91
University of Westminster,
BA (Hons) Illustration
"As an art dealer it is always exciting to discover an artist of John Worthington’s obvious talent so early in his career. Very few artists working today paint in this traditional, almost photographic style, it takes an artist of John’s technical ability to carry it off successfully. Clearly his illustrators training is an advantage, yet he never allows his painting to lapse into the flat sterility of pure illustration. His figures in interiors are endowed with a sense of contemplative isolation, a feeling heightened by their minimal surroundings. Each figure tells its own story by a pose or an expression. He rarely over uses titles to explain a painting, allowing an image to speak for itself."
John Thompson, Thompson’s Galleries
Career History
John lives and works on the Kent coast. His subject and technique are informed by the countryside and weather that surrounds him. His career as a painter has brought him recognition over the last three decades in some of London’s finest galleries.
John has exhibited with the Jonathan Cooper Gallery and Panter and Hall, London, he has regularly exhibited at the Affordable Art Fair in London and Hong Kong. John's paintings have featured in the Jerram Gallery, the Lion Street gallery and the Lilford Gallery.
From 1996 to 2007 John was represented by Thompson’s Gallery, originally in Mayfair and now situated in Marylebone, London. During that time more than 300 of John's paintings were sold. As a result his paintings and drawings feature in numerous national and international private and public collections. His paintings have been successfully exhibited with both Sotheby’s and Christies.
In 1999 John had a successful two man exhibition at Thompson’s Gallery and followed up in 2004 with a successful solo show at the same gallery.
Following a visit to John's studio in 2003 by US Gallery Directors, Bill Harkins and Marlana Keynes of Hammond Harkins Galleries John began exhibiting with their galleries in Columbus, Ohio and Martha’s Vineyard, USA.
In 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2014, 2017 John's work was chosen to hang in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
John work has featured in several publications including 500 Portraits: The National Portrait gallery, London, The Artist, Masterclass feature in 2007 and 2014; Homes and Gardens; Living South and The Hill, over thirty exhibition catalogs and numerous book covers
Exhibitions
SELECTED ONE MAN EXHIBITIONS
2015 Solo Show, The Horsebridge Arts Centre, Whitstable
2006 Solo Show, Hammond Harkins Galleries, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
2004 Solo Show, Thompson’s gallery, Marylebone High Street, London
1996 Raiffeisen Bank, Ergolding, Germany
1995 Weisenstein Castle, Germany
1995 Studio 11, Passau, Germany
SELECTED SIGNIFICANT EXHIBITIONS
2017 Invited Artist, The Portrait Gala, National Portrait Gallery, London
2016 Green and Pleasant Land, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London
2014 Invited Artist, the Portrait Gala, National Portrait Gallery, London
2012 Departures, Sidney Cooper Gallery (Christ Church University), Canterbury
2009 Invited Artist, the Portrait Gala, National Portrait Gallery, London
2006 Invited Artist, 150th Anniversary Gala, National Portrait Gallery, London
2006 Thompson’s Gallery, Marylebone High Street, London W1 (Three person show)
2006 War Child Exhibition, London,W1
2004 “New Works from London”, Hammond Harkins Galleries, Columbus, USA
2003 BP Portrait Awards, National Portrait Gallery, London
2002 Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London W1 (Principal Artist)
2000 “Young Artist 2000” Christies, St James, London
1999 Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London W1 (Two person show)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
Fairfax Gallery, Tunbridge Wells
Colbalt Fine Arts, Affordable Art Fair, London
The Jerram Gallery
Lion Street Gallery, Hay-on-Wye
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
2017
Christmas Exhibition, The Jerram Gallery
Lion Street Gallery, Hay-on-Wye
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
Colbalt Fine Arts, Affordable Art Fair, London
Panter and Hall, Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong
New year, New Art, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London
2016
Green and Pleasant Land, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London
New year, New Art, Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London
Panter and Hall, London
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
The Horsebridge Arts Centre, Whitstable
2015
The London Art Fair, Jonathan Cooper Gallery
20/21 British Art Fair, London
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
The Horsebridge Arts centre, Whitstable
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2014
Medici Gallery, Cork Street, London
Curwen Gallery, London
BCN Barcelona, Spain
The Affordable Art Fair, London
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
Stafford Gallery, London
2013
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
Stafford Gallery, London
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2012
Lilford Gallery, Canterbury
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2011
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard, USA
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Columbus, Ohio, USA
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2010
Curwen Gallery, London
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard, USA
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Columbus Ohio, USA
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2009
Curwen Gallery, London
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard, USA
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Columbus Ohio, USA
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2008
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard, USA
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Columbus Ohio, USA
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2007
Thompson’s Gallery, London W1
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh.
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard, USA
Hammond Harkins Gallery, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Northcote Gallery, Chelsea, London
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2006
Manya Igel Fine Arts, London.
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh.
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2005
Thompson’s, London W1
Hammond Harkins Galleries, Martha’s Vineyard, USA.
Hammond Harkins Galleries, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Thompson’s, Aldeburgh.
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2003
Painting the Figure, Thompson’s Gallery, London W1.
Art 2003, London Contemporary Art Fair,
Business Design Centre, London.
Thompson’s, Stow on the Wold.
Thompson’s, Aldeburgh.
The Affordable Art Fair, London
2002
Thompson’s Gallery, Stow on the Wold.
City Gallery, London, EC2.
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London.
Fresh Art, Business Design Centre, Islington.
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh.
Gallery One, Barnes, London.
The Gallery, 28 Cork Street, London, W1.
Fresh Art, Business Design Centre, London.
2001
Sothebys.com
Thompson’s Gallery, Marylebone High Street, London.
CCA Galleries, Fulham, London.
City Gallery, London, EC2.
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London.
Fresh Art 2001, Business Design Centre, Islington.
Celebration of English Artists.
Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London, W1.
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
Thompson’s Gallery, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire.
The Irish House, Eaton Square, London.
2000
Sothebys.com
Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London, W1.
Thompson’s Gallery, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire.
Thompson’s gallery, Aldeburgh.
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London.
London Contemporary Art Fair, Business Design Centre, London
Chelsea Art Fair, Kings road, London.
A Celebration of English Artists.
Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London, W1.
City Gallery, London EC2.
Chelsea Art Fair, Kings Road, London.
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh.
1998
London Contemporary Art fair, Business Design Centre, London
Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London, W1.
City Gallery, London, EC2.
Chelsea Art Fair, Kings Road, London.
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh.
1997
London Contemporary Art Fair, Business Design Centre, London
Thompson’s Gallery, Dover Street, London, W1.
City Gallery, London, EC2.
Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh.
1995
Ambiente Art Fair, Frankfurt, Germany.
Raiffeisenbank, Ergolding, Germany.
Kunsthaus Haybach, Germany.
1994
Weisenstein Castle, Germany.
1992
Expo 92, Seville, Spain
Selected Publications
500 Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, London
BP Portrait Award 2003, National Portrait Gallery, London
Acrylic Workshop, Dorling Kindersley
The Artist Magazine, Master class feature, 2006 and 2014
Selected Collections
Viscount and Viscountess Bridgeman, London
Raiffeisenbank, Munich, Germany