Tributes Pour In for Artist David Hockney

David Hockney, the celebrated British painter whose vibrant colours, restless experimentation and distinctive vision transformed contemporary art, has died at the age of 88.

Hockney passed away peacefully at home on 11 June, according to a statement released by his representatives. Widely regarded as one of Britain’s most influential artists, he leaves behind a body of work that spanned more than seven decades and reshaped the way generations viewed colour, landscape and perspective.

Tributes arrived swiftly from across the worlds of politics, culture and the arts. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Hockney as “one of Britain’s most celebrated artists”, saying he was saddened by the news of his death.

Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, called Hockney an “immensely important figure” whose originality and curiosity never diminished. He praised an artist who remained “completely and courageously himself” throughout his life, noting that Hockney possessed a rare ability to reveal beauty in ordinary scenes.

“He taught us about the joy of looking,” Farquharson said, recalling the artist’s sharp observations and enduring fascination with the visual world. “The loss to the art world is immense.”

Born in Bradford in 1937, Hockney emerged as one of the leading figures of British pop art after studying at Bradford School of Art and later at the Royal College of Art, where he graduated with distinction. His early work established him as a bold new voice, but it was his move to Los Angeles in the 1960s that helped define his international reputation.

The sunlit swimming pools, modernist houses and expansive Californian landscapes that followed became some of the most recognisable images in post-war art. Yet Hockney resisted being defined by any single style. Throughout his career he moved effortlessly between painting, photography, stage design and digital media, embracing new technologies long after many of his contemporaries had settled into established practices.

In later years, he turned his attention to the changing seasons of Yorkshire and Normandy, producing vast landscapes that celebrated the rhythms of nature. He also became an enthusiastic advocate of digital drawing, creating portraits and studies on iPads and tablets that demonstrated his continued appetite for innovation.

The influence of Hockney’s work extended far beyond Britain. The Pompidou Centre in Paris, which hosted two major exhibitions of his work, described him as one of the defining artists of contemporary art, praising a legacy that remains “dazzling, alive and eternal”.

Political leaders also reflected on his cultural significance. Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, called him “one of Yorkshire’s finest”, while London mayor Sadiq Khan described him as a revolutionary figure whose paintings encouraged a deeper appreciation of the natural world.

Art historian Richard Morris said Hockney’s greatest achievement was making complex artistic ideas appear effortless. “British art has lost a giant,” he wrote.

Despite international acclaim, Hockney maintained a reputation for warmth, humour and intellectual curiosity. Friends and colleagues frequently remarked on his enthusiasm for life, a quality reflected in both his work and his personal motto: “Love Life.”

His death comes as Tate prepares two major projects celebrating his career: a large-scale retrospective at Tate Britain and a multimedia installation at Tate Modern exploring his acclaimed opera set designs.

Those exhibitions will now serve not only as celebrations of a remarkable career, but also as tributes to an artist whose influence transcended movements, generations and national borders.

Hockney is survived by his long-time partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, his brothers Philip and John, and a large extended family.

For many, his paintings remain among the most joyful and instantly recognisable images of the modern era—works that captured not simply how the world looks, but how it feels to truly see it.