Illustrator Paul Slater's work will be familiar to many - adorning stamps, book jackets, magazines and album covers with his quirky brand of British humour.
During the nineties, his eccentric, satirical illustrations ran regularly in The Week and The Listener, and accompanied restaurant reviews in The Times and the Daily Express. He has also designed murals for the walls of top bars and restaurants.
But alongside his commercial work, the Burnley-born artist has always painted for himself - selling work to Heston Blumenthal, Dave Gilmour, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Damien Hirst. Now he holds his first solo exhibition for eight years at Hampstead's Catto Gallery, showing a collection of 30 never seen before paintings which blend English seaside postcards, with golden age American magazine advertising and European surrealism.
And although he has sold nothing for eight years, he has continued to finding fantastical new concepts to inspire his artworks.
He said: "If I could sum up the meaning of my work in a couple of clever sentences I would, but I’m still attempting to figure it out myself. My best advice would be to come and see the exhibition for yourself. Be amused, puzzled or offended, it’s all allowed."
And Slater, who studied at the Royal College of Art, adds: "I'd like to add how pleased I am to be showing at the Catto Gallery and how much it means to me to exhibit in Hampstead in particular where I spent many happy hours during my years as a student in London."
Iain Barratt director of the gallery said they were excited to be staging Slater's first show for many years.
"His work will be instantly familiar to many people after his years spent as an illustrator on a vast number of national publications," he said.
"We hope Hampstead will enjoy the opportunity to see his weird and wonderful paintings in the flesh."
Paul Slater's exhibition runs at Catto Gallery, 100 Heath Street, Hampstead from September 8-26. https://cattogallery.co.uk/
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