ABOUT THE ARTIST
With over 16 years of experience as a professional artist, Dorian has always been fascinated by the possibilities of portraiture and the impact that it might have upon the gaze of the viewer. After graduating from Kingston University, he focused his career on portrait commissions and completed artworks destined to prestigious figures from the show business and culture, including Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Prince Nicholas Medforth-Mills of Romania, Actors Kit Harrington, Richard E. Grant and Ray Winstone, cricket legend Brian Lara, amongst other private collectors and connoisseurs.
Although known primarily for medium and large-scale works, Dorian also holds the prestigious title of RMS, having been inducted at the age of 24 into the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers - which operates under the patronage of His Majesty King Charles III - after winning the Gold Memorial Bowl - the highest distinction globally for exceptional precision in painting, that can only be awarded once in a lifetime to an artist.
Philip Mould OBE (International Art Dealer, Portrait specialist and Creator of the BBC Fake or Fortune TV Series) handed Dorian with the L. Cornelissen & Son Award at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, asserting that "his skill will be taking over".
Dorian's portraiture work has been exhibited in prestigious venues such as the Royal Scottish Academy, the Wallace Collection, Compton Verney, Mall Galleries, Chelsea Old Town Hall, or the Wells Cathedral, in shows such as the London Biennale, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Society of Miniature Artists, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Wells Contemporary, Best of Portrait Artist of the Year-10 years Anniversary Exhibition, Signature Art prize, amongst others.
TV appearances include Sky Arts' Portrait Artist of the year series, where Dorian painted the portraits of actor Matthew Goode and DJ and Producer Trevor Nelson MBE. He was subsequently invited to showcase his skills in the Portrait Artist of the Week series, a Sky Arts format focusing on one artists for four hours, while painting a celebrity from life, and Dorian had the pleasure to paint BBC Broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake.
As an artist, Dorian enjoys asking questions, transforming his pieces into small riddles, where he identities of the pensive faces that appear on canvas are concealed behind small hints, ranging from the titling of the pieces, to the context around the subject. Each element is intentional throughout the compositions, acting as a brick that helps building and reshaping the overall story of the painting.
Dorian’s art is at a junction between traditional and contemporary principles, as the main aim is to bring back the aesthetics and criteria of traditional portrait painting and also identify the role of portraiture in contemporary art, as the artist juggles with the limitless meanings and purposes of the human figure.
