Chris Levine is probably best known for his now iconic image of Her Majesty the Queen, Lightness of Being, an extraordinarily intimate picture of the most famous woman in the world with her eyes closed. He has gone on to repeat the image with other instantly recognisable figures such as Dalai Lama, Kate Moss and Grace Jones.
After studying at Chelsea School of Arts and Central Saint Martin’s, Chris has progressed to become a pioneer in using light and lighting technology to push the boundaries of the visual experience in art. Crossing many mediums, including performance, music, installation, fashion as well as fine art, Chris’ new genre of Light Art is one that fuses the boundaries of culture to focus on creating a sensory experience that transcends that of mere observation.
In 2012, his work was featured in the major exhibition The Queen Art and Image at London’s National Portrait Gallery to huge acclaim. His portrait of Queen Elizabeth II 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.
His subsequent portraits of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Grace Jones and Frankel have captured the same sense of stillness, strength and equanimity in each of these iconic figures. In 2015, it was announced Levine's next 3D portrait was to be of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with the honour granted and all proceeds were to go to charities helping in the wake of the devastating Nepal earthquake.
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 Philip Treacy, Massive Attack, Grace Jones, Asprey Jewelers and the Eden Project.
Using such media as LEDs, lasers, holography and natural light, Levine aims to tap into light’s metaphysicality and its properties as something intrinsic to human existence and perception. For Levine, light is an elemental energy in life, meaning his art is an exploration into the very essence of life, which in turn gives his art a spiritual and ethereal quality.
