Elizabeth Peyton

The American artist Elizabeth Peyton is best known for portraits of pop celebrities and European monarchy, though her still life work is just as compelling. She studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and cites the artists David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe and Alfred Stieglitz as early influences. Her second exhibition at the Chelsea Hotel in 1993 achieved the status of contemporary art folklore – the 50 visitors who did attend had to request the room key from the reception to gain access to the exhibition. Since then she has advanced to more grandiose spaces; she has shown at the MoMA (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris) and Royal Academy (London). Elizabeth has a studio near Tompkins Square in New York and is represented by Sadie Coles in Europe and Gladstone Gallery in the USA.