Last updated: 27 October 2026
Gary Hume is the painter who made his name with flat, glossy paintings in household gloss on aluminium. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 shows, and the signed Tate etching you can buy for £850.
Our take on Gary Hume
Hume paints in household enamel on aluminium panels, in flat areas of colour that sit between figures and abstraction. His subjects run from mothers and babies to flowers, birds and snowmen.
“There’s no cathartic process in painting,” he has said, according to Matthew Marks Gallery. “I only get pleasure while there’s a problem and I solve it.”
He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1996 and represented Britain at Venice in 1999. Tate sells his etching Bird in a Tree in an edition of 40.
Gary Hume: the essentials
- Born in Tenterden, Kent, in 1962; lives in London and New York, according to Sprüth Magers.
- Graduated from Goldsmiths College in 1988.
- Nominated for the Turner Prize in 1996; represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1999.
- Elected a Royal Academician in 2001.
- Tate Britain held a survey of his work from 5 June to 1 September 2013.
Gary Hume exhibitions
- Gary Hume, Matthew Marks Gallery, New York, 11 September to 24 October 2026. Sixteen new enamel paintings and his first murals.
- Richard Artschwager / Gary Hume, Sprüth Magers, New York, 15 April to 22 May 2026.
- No UK show has been announced.
Where to buy a Gary Hume print
One signed edition is on sale in the UK:
- Bird in a Tree, 2023, £850: photopolymer etching on Somerset 300gsm paper, 76 x 56 cm (29.9 x 22 in), edition of 40, signed and numbered, from the Tate shop. Tate says it was inspired by the reverse of a page in an old book of botanical illustrations.
Gary Hume FAQs
Can I buy a Gary Hume print?
Yes. Tate sells Bird in a Tree (2023), a signed etching in an edition of 40, for £850.
What does Gary Hume paint with?
Household enamel paint, usually on aluminium panels.
Was Gary Hume nominated for the Turner Prize?
Yes, in 1996.
Which galleries represent Gary Hume?
Sprüth Magers and Matthew Marks Gallery.
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Main image: Gary Hume, 2019. Photo: Voytek Ketz, courtesy Sprüth Magers. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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