LONDON.- Today, Saatchi Yates will be opening the debut solo exhibition of New York artist Will St. John, which will remain on view until Sunday 22 October. Will St. John spent years studying Renaissance painting techniques in Florence and around Europe. He brings these skills to his community of Bohemian New Yorkers. With a rigorous artistic style and approach to image-making, St. John's meticulously crafied paintings exude delicately fierce character. Reminding us of the French Rococo tradition, his works echo the genre's hallmark traits: a whimsical treatment of sensual themes, deployment of rich and intricate brushwork, and an infusion of pastel hues.

St. John paints Drag Queens, Trans models, and pairs them alongside antique porcelain figurines, trinkets and phantoms in his eclectic world rooted in classical painting. Some of his portraits he even renders into porcelain statues, snuff boXes and lockets, freezing them in time. St. John’s paintings reveal a refinement combined with a pursuit of breaking free from the classical realism in which they reflect. Trained in the techniques of classical realism during his formative years in Italy, St. John has since ventured into new territories under the influence of the contemporary New York art scene.

During a triumphant exhibition last year, hosted by actor and long-term friend, Adam Driver, St. John showcased a series of portraits that captivated New York’s star-studded art enthusiasts. Notably, St. John chose prominent trans-gender figures, including actor Hari Nef, gallerist and musician Ruby Zarsky, and actress Patricia Black, as models for these captivating portraits.

Phoebe Saatchi Yates and Arthur Yates, Co-Founders of Saatchi Yates said: “For generations, royalty and nobility have been immortalised in portraiture in European national galleries. Will St. John captures the Kings and Queens of New York Bohemia and paints the characters who live on the fringes of society, with the same reverence of the portraits of the past.”

Saatchi Yates
Will St. John: Solo Exhibition
September 13th, 2023 - October 22nd, 2023