Stuart Pearson Wright

{{Short description|English portrait artist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Stuart Pearson Wright''' (born 1975) is an English artist, known principally for his portraits, Wright also works in sculpture, film and printmaking. He is first prize winner of the 2001 BP Portrait Award.

==Early life and education== Stuart Pearson Wright was born in 1975, and went to school in Eastbourne, Sussex<ref name="Guardian enigma" /> and graduated from Slade School of Fine Art,<ref name="npg" /> University College of London (1995–1999), receiving a B.A. in Fine Art.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

== Career == When Wright was 25 the National Portrait Gallery acquired his painting of the actor John Hurt.<ref name="Guardian enigma" /> The NPG also holds a pencil drawing of actress Parminder Nagra created by him in 2004, as well as a number of other British actors including Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall,Daniel Radcliffe, Nonso Anozie and Alan Rickman.<ref>{{cite web | title=Parminder Nagra | website=National Portrait Gallery | url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp83292/parminder-kaur-nagra | access-date=4 August 2024}}</ref>

An exhibition of his work entitled ''Halfboy'' was on show at The Heong Gallery of Downing College, Cambridge from 2 November 2018 to 6 February 2019.<ref>Downing College website, http://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/cultural-life/heong-gallery/upcoming-exhibitions/halfboy-stuart-pearson-wright</ref>

He was the featured artist in the first episode of the second series of the BBC TV series ''Extraordinary Portraits'', where he painted a portrait of fundraiser and cancer survivor Harriet Middleton.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC One - Extraordinary Portraits, Series 2, Episode 1 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0018bjt |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 February 2025}}</ref> He subsequently donated the painting to Shetland Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=The ‘Harriet’ unveiling honours phenomenal fundraising effort |url=https://www.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/blog/the-harriet-unveiling-honours-phenomenal-fundraising-effort |publisher=Shetland Museum & Archives |access-date=27 February 2025 |date=30 January 2023}}</ref>

Wright was commissioned in 2021 by then HRH The Prince of Wales to paint the portrait of Ruzena Levy for the Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust series unveiled in 2022 at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace.<ref>{{cite web |title=Portraits of Holocaust survivors commissioned by HRH The Prince of Wales to go on display at The Queen's Gallery, London |website=Royal Collection Trust|date=11 January 2022 |url=https://www.rct.uk/about/news-and-features/portraits-of-holocaust-survivors-commissioned-by-hrh-the-prince-of-wales-to}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Prince of Wales commissions 'Seven Portraits: Surviving The Holocaust" |url=https://www.royal.uk/clarencehouse/prince-wales-commissions-seven-portraits-surviving-holocaust |date=27 January 2022 |access-date=14 January 2026}}</ref>

Wright is currently represented by Flowers Gallery London and had a solo exhibition there in November 2023 called Miscellanalects.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

==Awards == Wright won the BP Travel Prize in 1998.<ref name="Guardian BP prize" />

In 2001 he won the BP Portrait Award with his painting of six presidents of the National Academy. It was described as "astounding", showing the men surrounding a dead chicken.<ref name="Guardian BP prize" /> As part of his prize he was commissioned to paint author J. K. Rowling, and that painting is part of the National Collection.

Wright won the Garrick/Milne Prize<ref name="npg" /> in 2005.

==Personal life== Wright was conceived by artificial insemination, and grew up not knowing his father. However in 2019, following a DNA test, Wright discovered the identity of his Father, made contact and was received warmly. He has now been fully assimilated into his paternal family. <ref name="Guardian enigma" />

He is divorced and has a son and a daughter.<ref name="Telegraph elvis" />

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="Guardian BP prize">{{cite news |author=Maev Kennedy |author-link=Maev Kennedy |title=BP prize for old flesh and fowl art |work=The Guardian |date=20 June 2001 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jun/20/arts.highereducation |access-date=10 February 2014}}</ref> <ref name="Guardian enigma">{{cite news |author=Lucasta Miller |title=Enigma of arrival |work=The Guardian |date=20 May 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2006/may/20/art.harrypotter |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="npg">[http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp19004/stuart-pearson-wright Stuart Pearson Wright (1975-), Artist]</ref> <ref name="Telegraph elvis">{{cite news |author=Jessica Salter |title=Stuart Pearson Wright on Elvis, Keira Knightley and fatherhood |work=The Telegraph |date=29 November 2013 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/10475214/Stuart-Pearson-Wright-on-Elvis-Keira-Knightley-and-fatherhood.html |accessdate=10 February 2014}}</ref> }}

==External links== *[http://stuartpearsonwright.com/ Home page] *[http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp19004&role=art&page=1 Paintings at the National Portrait Gallery]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson Wright, Stuart}} Category:20th-century English painters Category:English male painters Category:21st-century English painters Category:English portrait painters Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art Category:BP Portrait Award winners Category:English contemporary artists Category:People educated at East Sussex College Category:20th-century English male artists Category:21st-century English male artists