Last updated: 27 October 2026
Marcus Harvey is the Leeds-born painter and sculptor whose Myra was the most talked-about work in Sensation. Here you will find our take on his work and where to buy.
Our take on Marcus Harvey
Harvey’s Myra (1995), a portrait of Myra Hindley built from casts of a child’s handprints, was attacked when it was shown in Sensation at the Royal Academy in 1997. He called the handprint “the most simple image of innocence absorbed in all that pain”, as reported in the Telegraph.
Since then he has kept returning to Britishness: Thatcher, Nelson, Napoleon and the white cliffs of Dover, latterly in large glazed ceramic busts.
He co-founded the painting magazine Turps Banana in 2005 and Turps Art School in 2012.
Marcus Harvey: the essentials
- Born in Leeds in 1963. Lives and works in London.
- Studied at Goldsmiths College (1982 to 1986).
- Shown by Vigo Gallery and Paul Stolper in London, and formerly White Cube.
Marcus Harvey exhibitions
- Half Nelson, glazed stoneware busts, Paul Stolper, London, 2018.
- Inselaffe, Jerwood Gallery, Hastings, 16 July to 16 October 2016.
- Sensation, Royal Academy, London, 1997.
Where to buy a Marcus Harvey print
His ceramic busts sell through Paul Stolper, with prices on request.
- Signed print: Maggie (2016), a silkscreen in an edition of 25, image 39.5 x 48.5 cm (15.6 x 19.1 in), £988 at Shapero.
Marcus Harvey FAQs
What is Marcus Harvey’s Myra?
A 1995 portrait of Myra Hindley made from casts of a child’s handprints, shown in Sensation in 1997.
Was Marcus Harvey a YBA?
Yes. He studied at Goldsmiths and showed in Sensation at the Royal Academy.
What is Turps?
A painting magazine Harvey co-founded in 2005, followed by Turps Art School in 2012.
Can I buy a Marcus Harvey print?
Shapero in London has his signed silkscreen Maggie (2016) at £988.
More from CoolCuration
- Tracey Emin at Tate Modern review: another artist who came up with the YBAs.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
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Main image: Marcus Harvey, Maggie, 2009. Courtesy Vigo Gallery. Framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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