British painter David Hockney, who died on Thursday, is being remembered across the country as a visionary figure whose vibrant work and inventive spirit reshaped modern art.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, paid tribute on X, calling Hockney “a true icon and revolutionary of British art who never stopped reinventing his work.” Khan reflected on the artist’s influence, from his early days at the Royal College of Art to his major London retrospectives, noting that Hockney’s vivid depictions of the changing seasons helped him appreciate “the beauty and fragility of our natural world.”
Art historian Richard Morris echoed the sense of profound loss, writing that Hockney’s “huge achievement was to make serious painting look effortless.” He praised the artist for leading one of the most sustained inquiries into “vision, space and representation” of the post-war era, adding simply: “British art has lost a giant.”
West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin described Hockney as “one of Yorkshire’s finest,” celebrating the Bradford-born artist whose bold, colourful works transformed the art world. “A Bradford boy who changed the art world forever,” she wrote. “Those pioneering pieces… will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, also honoured Hockney’s legacy. Posting on Instagram, he remembered him as “an endlessly inventive artist” who saw the world with a rare and courageous clarity. “He taught us about the joy of looking,” Farquharson wrote, noting the sharp, witty observations that defined both the artist and his work.
“The loss to the art world is immense,” he added. “David’s passing brings to a close an extraordinary body of work characterised by reinvention.”
Hockney’s legacy, admirers agree, is one that will continue to shape art—and inspire artists—for generations to come.
