Terrence Higgins Trust, The Timed Auction 2021

Tom Butler was born in London in 1979 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art and Winchester School of Art. He makes work using a vast range of materials and approaches.

Butler says: ‘I am fascinated by the desire to hide and to perform simultaneously. My work expresses my natural inclination towards introversion and the opposition of displaying artwork essentially about hiding. For the last ten years I have been appropriating anonymous photographs and adding personal symbols such as hair, masks and geometric abstractions, painted on the surface with gouache. In the process I attempt to reveal aspects of imagined personalities of the sitters while entirely in the knowledge that I am cloaking them with parts of myself.’

This work was produced for PROJECT PAPYROPHILIA. PROJECT PAPYROPHILIA is an ongoing work on paper initiative curated by international gallerist, curator and artist Zavier Ellis (director of CHARLIE SMITH LONDON). The project was launched in response to the first lockdown in order to support artists during challenging times. All work is unique. New work is consistently offered on www.artsy.net/charlie-smith-london. To enquire or for further information please email Zavier at direct@charliesmithlondon.com.

This lot is kindly donated by Tom Butler and CHARLIE SMITH LONDON.

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