Jonathan Yeo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Yeo
Yeo in 2012
Born	(1970-12-18) 18 December 1970 (age 54) London, England
Education	Westminster School
Known for	Portraiture
Spouse(s)	Shebah Ronay

Jonathan Yeo (born 18 December 1970) is a British artist. He is known for his portraits, which can be traditional or more experimental. Some of his famous paintings include portraits of King Charles III, Malala Yousafzai, Sir David Attenborough, and Cara Delevingne. The magazine GQ once called him "one of the world's most in-demand portraitists."

Yeo's artwork has been shown in special exhibitions at famous places. These include the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2013, The Lowry in Manchester in 2014, and the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 2015. His work was also shown at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark in 2016, and The Bowes Museum in 2018.

In 2007, he created a portrait of American president George W. Bush. This artwork was made from unusual materials and was shown in London, New York, and Los Angeles. It made him well-known around the world.

Jonathan Yeo was featured in a BBC Culture Show Special in September 2013. He also taught a BBC Maestro course on 'Portrait Painting' in 2024. A book about his art, called The Many Faces of Jonathan Yeo, was published in 2013. His paintings are part of the permanent collections at the National Portrait Gallery, London, the Laing Art Gallery, and the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle. His art is also in the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Collection.

In 2018, Yeo became a trustee for the National Portrait Gallery, London for four years. He was reappointed for a second term in 2022. He also won the GQ Artist of the Year award in 2018. Baroness Doreen Lawrence presented him with this award.

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Yeo was born in London in 1970. His father, Tim Yeo, was a Member of Parliament. Jonathan went to Westminster School. He first tried oil painting when he was 14 years old. His grandmother encouraged him to paint.

Before becoming an artist, he studied English and Film Studies at the University of Kent. During his third year, he received treatment for Hodgkin's disease.

Yeo taught himself how to paint. He was inspired by artists like Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. He also admired British artists such as Lucian Freud.

In 2017, the University of Kent gave him an honorary doctorate in Art.

Career

Portrait Painting

In 1993, while undergoing treatment, Jonathan Yeo had his first big career moment. He completed a portrait of Trevor Huddleston, a famous anti-apartheid activist.

The House of Commons chose Yeo as the official Election Artist for the 2001 general election. He painted the leaders of the three biggest political parties. His artwork, called 'Proportional Representation', showed Tony Blair, William Hague, and Charles Kennedy. The size of each painting in the set was based on how many votes each leader's party received.

Throughout the 2000s, Yeo became known for his realistic portraits of famous people. He painted artists like Sir Peter Blake and Grayson Perry. He also painted Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Camilla, and Sir Jony Ive. Other subjects include actors Helena Bonham Carter, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Sophia Loren. He also painted former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and media leader Rupert Murdoch. In 2005, his portrait of Erin O'Connor was used to advertise London's National Portrait Gallery worldwide.

In January 2008, Yeo's official portrait of former prime minister Tony Blair was shown to the public. It showed Blair looking older and tired, wearing a red poppy. This symbol often reminds people of war. In 2009, Yeo painted a full-length portrait of David Cameron before he became Prime Minister. This painting was sold for £200,000 in 2010.

In April 2011, Queen Elizabeth II asked Yeo to paint a portrait of David Attenborough. This painting became part of the Royal Collection.

The 'Jonathan Yeo Portraits' exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London (2013-2014) showed new and older works by Yeo. The new portraits included people who had made a big impact in their fields. These included Doreen Lawrence, Kevin Spacey, Damien Hirst, Malala Yousafzai, and Grayson Perry.

Between 2010 and 2012, Yeo created artworks that explored how people change their appearance. He showed faces of people before and after certain procedures. This collection of paintings was featured in two solo exhibitions. These were 'You're Only Young Twice' in London and ‘(I’ve Got You) Under My Skin' in Berlin.

In 2014, the exhibition grew and was shown at The Lowry in Salford. It included new portraits of people from Manchester, like Maxine Peake. In 2015, it expanded again at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle. New paintings there included a portrait of Queen Camilla (who was then the Duchess of Cornwall).

Yeo’s first big international exhibition opened in March 2016 at the Museum of National History in Denmark. Along with 47 existing artworks, a new series of paintings of actor and model Cara Delevingne was shown. This series explored how we create and view images of ourselves, like "selfies." A portrait of former Danish Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, was also shown and remains in the museum's collection.

In February 2016, Yeo's portrait of actor Kevin Spacey as President Francis J. Underwood from House of Cards was shown at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. Spacey unveiled the painting while acting as his character. Netflix made a short film about this collaboration to promote the show.

In May 2024, Yeo's portrait of King Charles III, His Majesty King Charles III, was unveiled at Buckingham Palace. It quickly became very popular online. The painting was created between June 2021 and November 2023. It was the first official portrait of the King since his coronation. The painting is very large and shows King Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards. The BBC called it "a vibrant painting." Queen Camilla reportedly told Yeo, "Yes, you've got him."

Exploring Human Form

Between 2008 and 2018, Yeo created a series of paintings that explored how people change their appearance. He showed faces and bodies, mostly of women, in different stages of transformation. This collection of paintings was shown in three solo exhibitions. These were 'You're Only Young Twice' in London, ‘(I’ve Got You) Under My Skin' in Berlin, and 'Skin Deep' at The Bowes Museum.

Yeo's series, which began in 2011, looks at the popular trend of seeking physical "perfection." He became interested in this idea in 2008 while talking with surgeon friends. Yeo saw the surgeon's role as being like an artist or sculptor. He watched various procedures firsthand, which he described as "like watching a master craftsman." He realized that just as artists in the past might make their subjects look a bit more ideal, surgeons also sculpt people into a more idealized version of themselves. The paintings sometimes show lines drawn on the skin, which are guides for the surgeon. Yeo says, "I’m documenting the artistry, as plastic surgeons really understand the structure of the human body."

These paintings explore how our individual minds and wider culture view beauty. The desire for these changes evolves over time. The ability of surgeons to perform more advanced procedures makes this a fascinating topic to consider.

Art and Technology

Jonathan Yeo is very interested in how art and technology can work together. He has worked on projects with Google, Apple, and Snapchat.

In 2017, he worked with Google and Otoy to create the first bronze sculpture using 3D scanning, virtual reality, and 3D printing. This sculpture was part of the Royal Academy of Arts’ 250th anniversary exhibition in 2018. It was shown alongside sculptures by Antony Gormley. As part of the celebration, Jonathan hosted the Royal Academy's first live-streamed life drawing class. People from all over the world could participate live from their homes.

During the 2020 lockdown, Yeo could not be in the same room as his subjects. So, he started a new series of paintings called "Facetime Portraits." He painted these using video calls on an iPad. The first two subjects were Dexter Fletcher and Professor Brian Cox. These sittings were streamed live on Youtube and Instagram Live. The last two subjects were Fearne Cotton and Jamie Oliver.

Also in 2020, Jonathan and his studio created an augmented reality app. This app lets users explore his painting studio while he paints his "Facetime portrait" of Jamie Oliver. In 2021, it won a Lovie Award for ‘Best Use of Augmented Reality’.

In 2024, Yeo worked with Snapchat to create three Snap lenses. These lenses are based on different styles of his paintings. Using AI technology, Snapchat's system learned from Jonathan’s past artworks. This allows users to see themselves as if Jonathan had painted their portrait. The three styles are 'Painterly', 'Realist', and 'King Charles'. The 'King Charles' lens lets users see themselves painted in the style of his 2024 portrait of King Charles III.

Curating and Judging

Yeo is a co-founder of the art collection at the Soho House group, along with Nick Jones. He first helped choose art for the clubs worldwide. Later, Kate Bryan became the head curator in 2016. This collection has become one of the largest contemporary art collections in the world, with over 10,000 pieces.

Jonathan Yeo was a judge for the 2010 Art Fund Prize for museums. In 2014, he was on the judging panel for the BP Portrait Prize. In 2021, Yeo was a judge for the Venice Film Festival: Immersive section.

Personal Life

Jonathan Yeo lives in London with his wife, Shebah Ronay, and their two daughters.

Notable Exhibitions

Solo shows:

• Skin Deep, The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, 18 March 2018 - 17 June 2018
• The Museum of Danish National History at Frederiksborg Castle, 20 March 2016 – 30 June 2016
• Exposure, Circle Culture Gallery, Hamburg, 10 July 2015 – 28 October 2015
• The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, 8 November 2014 – 15 February 2015
• The Lowry Gallery, 14 March 2014 – 29 June 2014
• National Portrait Gallery, 11 September 2013 – 5 January 2014
• (I’ve Got You) Under My Skin, Circle Culture Gallery, Berlin, 9 November 2012 - 28 February 2013
• You're Only Young Twice, Lazarides, London, 9 December 2011 - 21 January 2012
• Jonathan Yeo's Sketchbook, Eleven, London, 17 February – 17 March 2006

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Yeo para niños