Peter John Howson


1958 -

Painter. Although born in London (England), Howson trained at the Glasgow School of Art (1975-81) and is now regarded as one of Scotland's leading contemporary artists, noted for his bold and controversial paintings. In the 1980s Howson became established as one of the 'New Glasgow Boys' group of painters, who were concerned with portraying social issues.

He was commissioned as the Imperial War Museum's official war artist in the former Yugoslavia, working in Bosnia (1993-5) and Kosovo (1999). Greatly affected by what he saw, Howson produced a number of prints based on drawings he had made there, including the controversial works Croatian and Muslim and Serb and Muslim both depicting rape scenes, the former purchased by rock star David Bowie, the latter by Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums.

Howson has been commissioned for a range of projects including a Millennium Stamp for the Royal Mail, and a portrait of the former Glasgow Lord Provost, Pat Lally (b.1926). His work has been exhibited widely, including the Glasgow Print Studio (1994), Oslo (Norway; 1996), Copenhagen (Denmark; 1997) and California (USA; 1998). Collections are held in, for example, the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Modern Art (Edinburgh), the Tate Gallery (London) and the Museum of Modern Art (New York).

Howson has also been Artist in Residence at the University of St Andrews. He was awarded the Glasgow Lord Provost's Medal (1995) and received an honorary degree from the University of Strathclyde (1996).


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