Chris Levine is a UK-based light artist, who works across a variety of mediums in pursuit of an expanded state of perception and awareness. Levine uses light to imbue his work with a spiritual and meditative edge, drawing the viewer towards stillness and a heightened state of awareness. His seminal portrait of Queen Elizabeth II ‘Lightness of Being’ was hailed by the National Portrait Gallery as ‘the most evocative image of a royal by any artist’, and is recognised today as a 21st century icon. Levine’s status as one of the world’s leading light artists has led to several high-profile cross media collaborations and his subsequent portraits of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Grace Jones and Frankel have captured the same signature sense of stillness, strength and equanimity in each of these iconic figures. In 2015, the artist was commissioned to create the official 80th birthday portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who rarely sits for a formal portrait. His MoMA commissioned collaboration with Antony and the Johnsons was performed at Radio City in New York, NY, the Royal Opera House in London, and the Teatro Real in Madrid to unanimous 5 star reviews.
He has worked with a wide range of collaborators including Massive Attack, Grace Jones, Hussein Chalayan, Asprey Jewellers, Swarovski, the Eden Project and his work has raised substantial funds in auction for the Elton John Aids Foundation. Levine’s work has been exhibited at The National Portrait Gallery, the V&A, Kensington Palace, the Science Museum, The Eden Project, The Royal Opera House, The Annenberg Space for Photography, MATE museum in Lima, New York City’s MAD, London’s Fine Art Society, Saatchi Gallery and Tasmania’s MONA museum. The artist was commissioned by Lord Cholmondeley to produce a solo indoor/outdoor exhibition at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, England in 2021, an honour bestowed upon artists including Anish Kapoor, James Turrell, Damien Hirst and the estate of Henry Moore. He is in development for a solo show at Jumex, Mexico City and has been commissioned to create a laser installation covering the entire site of Glastonbury Festival for their belated 50th anniversary celebration.
