David Hockney has been remembered as “a defining voice in art across his lifetime” and a pioneer who “reshaped the course of modern art” after his death at 88.
One of the most celebrated and influential British artists of modern times, he died peacefully at home on June 11th, his publicist Erica Bolton said.
A statement to the Press Association said: “The celebrated British artist David Hockney, one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries, passed away peacefully at home on 11 June 2026, one month short of his 89th birthday.”
It added: “David Hockney’s enduring legacy reflects his underlying enthusiasm for life, his outstanding sense of humour, his immense generosity, and his investigative curiosity encapsulated by his signature phrase, Love Life.
“Details of memorials will follow in due course.”
Professor Christoph Lindner, president and vice-chancellor of the Royal College of Art, where Hockney studied from 1959 to 1963, said: “David Hockney remained a defining voice in art across his lifetime.
“His boundless curiosity, mastery of colour, and embrace of new technologies reshaped the course of modern art. His legacy will continue to inspire and challenge generations of artists to come.”
Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, where Hockney held a landmark retrospective in 2017, said the gallery will work closely with the artist’s team to realise the two projects he was working on before his death – a major exhibition at Tate Britain, spanning seven decades of his work, and a multimedia installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.
He said: “We are greatly saddened by the news of David Hockney’s death. Widely regarded as one of the most successful and recognisable artists of our time, he is an immensely important figure to Tate, with his work first entering our collection in 1963.
“David was an endlessly inventive artist, with a unique vision of the world. He was always completely and courageously himself, both in his work and in life.
“He taught us about the joy of looking, seeing things the rest of us failed to notice – his witty and sharp observations a constant presence within his work and in person.
“The loss to the art world is immense. David’s passing brings to a close an extraordinary body of work characterised by reinvention.
“He touched so many, with his astonishing talent, his love for art and life, and his profound and unconventional insights. His work continues to influence our culture, far beyond the art world.
“We will be working closely with David’s team to realise the two projects he was preparing for next year – a major exhibition at Tate Britain, spanning seven decades of his work, and a multimedia installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, bringing to life his celebrated designs for opera sets.
“Following on from Tate Britain’s 2017 Hockney exhibition, the most visited in the institution’s history, it is such an honour to offer so many the chance to experience his incredible artistry.
“Hockney’s work will live on at Tate for generations to come, and in museums around the world. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
Hockney’s celebrated career spanned seven decades, and his most famous paintings included The Splash, A Bigger Splash, Portrait Of An Artist (Pool With Two Figures), My Parents and Mr And Mrs Clark And Percy.
He was lauded for his use of different formats, embracing digital art and the use of iPads as much as traditional painting.
He was a committed life-long and defiant smoker and campaigned against anti-smoking laws, calling them “mean-spirited”. He smoked until the end of his life.
In 2018 he told PA: “I always say in the studio I don’t feel old, I just feel 30. I do still feel 30 in my studio, that is why I stay there most of the time.
“When I was young of course you think you’re immortal, that is why the young smoke, they think they’re immortal. They always will.”
He is survived by his long-time partner and companion Jean-Pierre Goncalves de Lima; his great-nephew Richard, who acted as studio assistant in his last years; his brothers Philip and John; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, Ms Bolton said.
Hockney embraced printmaking, set design, and photography to evolving media including photocopier and fax machines, computer, iPhone and iPad drawing, and stained glass.
He trained at the Bradford School of Art in the 1950s, followed by the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, where he graduated with gold medal distinction and subsequently emerged as one of the seminal talents in the new generation of British artists.
However, he was almost denied his RCA diploma because he did not complete an essay, an act of rebellion as he felt he should be judged solely on his art.
He spoiled his paper with a sketch of a diploma in protest.
When the decision was reversed, Hockney was awarded a gold medal which he is said to have accepted while wearing a gold lame jacket and carrying a gold-coloured shopping bag.
He created a group of paintings, which he later described as “homosexual propaganda”, portraying gay relationships and was open about his sexuality when homosexuality was still illegal.
Some of his most famous paintings came from his move to Los Angeles, when he began to document the southern California lifestyle.
In his 70s he returned to Yorkshire, where he produced a stunning series of landscapes capturing the changing seasons, but he continued to spend much of his life in the US.
The iPhone and iPad became central to Hockney’s practice from 2007 onwards, resulting in the vast series The Arrival Of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire, in 2011.
In 2017, he was invited by the Dean of Westminster Abbey to produce the stained-glass Queen’s Window in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, which was unveiled in October 2018.
He was appointed by the late Queen to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1997 and to the Order of Merit in 2012.
In 2026, Hockney became one of the few non-French citizens to be awarded the rank of officer in France’s prestigious Legion d’Honneur.
Many of his most beloved works were shown at Tate Britain in 2017, which became the gallery’s most popular exhibition to date, pulling in almost half a million visitors.
It travelled to the Pompidou Centre in Paris and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The French museum said: “It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the passing of David Hockney. Creative until the very end of his life, constantly reinventing his ideas, David Hockney was undoubtedly one of the leading figures of contemporary art.
“Our thoughts are with his family, his loved ones, and all those whose lives were touched, moved, or inspired by his art. His work, meanwhile, remains radiant, vibrant, and timeless.”
Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire, described Hockney as “quite simply one of Yorkshire’s finest”.
She added on X: “A Bradford boy who changed the art world forever.
“But words alone don’t do David justice. His work, those pioneering pieces that burst onto the scene with vivid colour, changed the trajectory of modern art, and will continue to inspire generations to come.
“My thoughts are with his family, friends, and loved ones.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called Hockney “a true titan of British art”.
She added: “Born and educated in Bradford, his paintings have inspired people across the world ever since his first exhibition in 1963. His boundless creativity and restless spirit leave behind a powerful legacy.”
Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, said: “David Hockney was an artist of constant invention.
“From his early pop works to his iconic paintings of California pools, to his Yorkshire landscapes and the abundance of nature that he discovered in Normandy, he explored how we see the world and how we relate to one another.
“He was full of humility about his achievements but his work was admired across the world, with nearly a million visitors to his exhibition in Paris last year, and his legacy is immeasurable. He was, quite simply, a great artist.”
