Jenny Saville

Jenny Saville is a leading contemporary artist celebrated for her monumental figural paintings that explore the resilience, vulnerability and complexity of the human body. Born in 1970 in Cambridge, England and trained at the Glasgow School of Art, Saville’s work transcends traditional figuration and modern abstraction, employing thick, visceral layers of oil paint to create bodies that blur the line between reality and representation.

 

Saville's fascination with the “imperfections” of flesh began early in life and deepened through formative experiences, such as observing a plastic surgeon reconstruct human tissue, studying cadavers, and examining classical and Renaissance art. Her paintings, often of nude women depicted in exaggerated, foreshortened perspectives, emphasize folds of flesh, veins and skin textures, challenging societal beauty standards and addressing themes of gender, identity and body politics. Her art has been described as embodying a "feminist aesthetics of disgust" and synthesizes ancient fertility symbols, Renaissance portraiture and modernist techniques.

 

A member of the Young British Artists (YBAs), Saville gained early acclaim when her graduate exhibition sold out, leading to a significant commission by gallerist Charles Saatchi. Represented by Gagosian Gallery, her works are held in major institutions like MoMA and SFMOMA. Through her bold exploration of flesh and form, Saville has reinvigorated figurative painting, making it relevant to contemporary discussions of the human condition.