Adam Neate

British artist Adam Neate, born in 1977, used to be called “the world’s most famous street artist.” He once laid out his paintings on the streets of London and let passersby pick them up at will. Painted on cardboard and discarded boxes with spray cans stuck to them, his work was later moved to galleries, where prices soared to $150,000.

Since then, he has developed his own style of “dimensional painting,” combining elements of cubism, fauvism, and surrealism. In his works, foreground and background are reversed and a myriad of energies intersect. At Kiaf 2023, Neate returns to Korea with his signature “portraits” and his latest works using mixed media.

“The theme of my work is to capture the emotions that human beings feel, the emotions that come from the soul. It’s an attempt to convey new emotions by using various mixed media within a blank canvas. I think portraiture in particular is the most important way to capture the essence of the human spirit.”

There are no distinct facial features in Neate’s portraits. However, the superb composition allows viewers to infer the various situations and the human emotions that inevitably burst out. Known as a street artist and a free artist, Neate doesn’t have a set method for creating his works. His favorite way to paint is with his bare hands. He is also very wary of being pigeonholed into one style. He started drawing at the age of three and left school at 16 to study graphic design. Working as a designer to pay the rent and make ends meet, he painted in the evenings. Around 1997, he left his drawings on the streets of Ipswich, then moved to London, where he painted over 5,000 pieces of graffiti by 2006. He has been working in his current format since 2009.

“I don’t work with a particular style in mind. I first think about the emotion I want to convey, and then think about what method best conveys that emotion. The key driver of my work is my belief in creativity and experimentation, and I’m always questioning what art can be.”

Adam Neate said that every new painting is a challenge, and within that challenge is a battle, a battle that he sometimes wins and sometimes loses.

“I think as an artist you’re always looking forward to new challenges, and you learn from the accomplishments and mistakes that come with them. Sometimes you think your initial concept is too hard, but the only way to make sure is to try. I’m interested in doing more augmented reality work these days, and I think there’s a lot of potential in doing work that people can interact with.”

Adam Neate , Two Worlds Exhibition