Michael De Bono Artist CV
Michael de Bono is a realist oil painter with a special affinity for the work of the Flemish Masters. Born in Wales in 1983, Michael first began to draw in 1997 and progressed to oil painting in 1999. Read more
Eschewing formal art instruction in favour of independent study, de Bono's work first came to public attention at London’s Royal Academy of Art in 2008. Here, his oil painting which depicted a beautiful fortune teller sold at the private view for seven thousand pounds. To date Michael's work has been selected by the Academy in six of its summer exhibitions, a rare accomplishment.
Michael’s exquisite paintings are the result of meticulous care and preparation. He uses an oil technique reminiscent of the 17th century Dutch school which he has adapted to contemporary presentations of traditional themes. His vivid compositions are at times almost tangibly realistic, an immersive feast of detail and colour.
He adds, “My paintings use a complex array of oil glazes, which with painstaking labour create a jewel like and hyper smooth surface. This finesse is not only pleasing to the eye but raises the paintings’ refractive index, making the depicted subjects appear more naturalistic.
This is in part why I admire artists such as Van Eyck. Their remarkable skill is really just a means to reach an extraordinary end, namely to make simple pigments depict a sense of the transcendent. It’s the hallmark of a master and the greatest of challenges to emulate”.
In recognition of his work Michael was awarded two prizes by the Worshipful Company of Painter Stainers for his painting entitled ‘Natural Philosophy’. He is the first artist to have received a dual prize in the history of the award. Michael has also received the prestigious Royal British Artists’ Arts Trust Award.
Michael’s work has been shown in over fifty exhibitions including juried selections by the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, the Royal British Artists and the Royal West of England Academy. His work is held in private collections throughout the U.K and abroad.
