Growing up in Birmingham in the ’60s and ’70s, British artist Paul Horton developed a strong sense of identity and a working-class ethic that comes across in the iconic industrial figures that he puts to paper in his memorable artworks. Horton specialized in life drawing and history of art at the School of Art, Bournville, and then began a career in the printing industry. In 1997, Horton dedicated himself to creating fine art full time, holding a one-man retrospective in 1998 called “All in a Life’s Work.”

Horton’s work is influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites and is informed by a love of color and strong composition in the spirit of Degas, Chagall, and De Lempicka. His works often feature anonymous everyman characters and a strong sense of narrative. “I have always enjoyed the challenge of drawing and painting people,” says Horton. “Life is a mosaic of different memories, we all experience so many emotions from great joy to deep sorrow, from the nostalgic to the magical—these experiences are the sources of my paintings.”