David Hockney was a British painter, printmaker and photographer born in Yorkshire in 1937. He emerged as a major artistic figure during the 1960s and has remained one of the world's most celebrated and influential artists ever since. Known for his bold use of colour and innovative techniques, Hockney spent over six decades challenging the boundaries of what art can be. He lived and worked in Los Angeles, Paris and across Europe, while remaining connected to his Yorkshire roots. His work spanned painting, photography, stage design and digital art, always pushing forward with curiosity and vision.

Hockney is celebrated for his stunning paintings of Californian landscapes and swimming pools, which showcase his remarkable appreciation for beauty, light and colour. He found extraordinary beauty in ordinary things - puddles, swimming pools, landscapes. If Hockney could get excited about rain on a puddle, children can realise they don't need permission to find the world thrilling. The world is full of things worth noticing – we just have to look properly.

His creativity shone through his willingness to experiment continuously - moving between abstraction and realism, adopting new technologies like fax machines and iPad painting, and reinventing his artistic style across different periods of his life.

His open-mindedness was evident in how he embraced difference and new ideas: he studied in America when few British artists did, adopted digital tools when many traditionalists dismissed them, and constantly explored fresh subjects and mediums. Whether painting landscapes, designing for theatre, or creating on an iPad, Hockney demonstrated that true artistic vision comes from staying curious, celebrating beauty and remaining unafraid to challenge conventions.

He never stopped learning. Well into his 80s, he was experimenting with iPads and new techniques – he remains an inspiration to us all.