British artist David Hockney is regarded as one of the greatest printmakers of our time. The 2017 exhibition David Hockney: Prints at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) was described by Australian art critic Sasha Grishin as a ‘striking landmark exhibition’ and an ‘internationally significant blockbuster’.

All works in the exhibition are drawn from the NGA’s outstanding collection, and feature selected highlights from their exhibition. The Cairns Art Gallery is thrilled to be the premier venue for David Hockney: Prints which is a nationally touring exhibition.

Born in Bradford, England in 1937, Hockney was one of a number of artists who led an international ‘printmaking renaissance’ in the 1960s. As a young artist, Hockney explored his sexual identity and experiences through painting and printmaking by developing a subversive iconography relating to his homosexuality.

In 1964 Hockney moved to Los Angeles and during his lifetime he exhibited widely in the USA, UK and Europe. Throughout his life he has constantly sought to reinvent himself as an artist, exploring etching, lithography and silkscreen, as well as painting, photo collage and digital prints.

Hockney has been described as an unorthodox artist, eclectic creator and compulsive rule breaker. Now in his eighties, he continues to demonstrate a profound visual curiosity and desire to surprise, shock and entertain.

"I love new mediums. I think mediums can turn you on, they can excite you; they always let you do something in a different way"
David Hockney

David Hockney: Prints is a thrilling insight into the mind of an iconic artist still searching for new ways of seeing.