Dealing with issues of authorship, authenticity and identity, British Surrealist Gavin Turk explores the institutions of art, our contemporary value systems and our power structures through portraits of anti-heroes and art-historical icons.
He is also known for his installations and sculpture, many of which playfully employ recycled rubbish and common objects in their composition.
Turk studied at Chelsea School of Art and then the Royal College of Art until 1991, where he was noticed by Charles Saatchi and included in several YBA exhibitions. His work has since been collected and exhibited by major museums and galleries worldwide.
In May 2019, Turk was involved with ‘Gavin Turk – Portrait of an Egg’, a special exhibition held in association with Photo London at Somerset House. Using his large sculpture of a bronze egg as inspiration, he encouraged the public to contribute an original photograph inspired by an egg.