Paul Thek, born in Brooklyn, New York, emerged in the 1960s as a provocative, queer and visionary figure in contemporary art. His practice pushed beyond traditional aesthetics, marked by formal experimentation and psychological depth. Thek is perhaps most recognised for his hauntingly lifelike “meat pieces”—wax sculptures mimicking raw flesh—and for immersive installations like The Tomb (1967), which delved into mortality, spirituality, and the fragility of the human condition. Straddling the boundaries of Pop, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art, Thek’s work resists classification, carrying an intensely poetic and introspective resonance.

From 29 May to 2 August 2025, Thomas Dane Gallery in London, will present an exhibition of Paul Thek curated by Kenny Schachter (who curated a Paul Thek show at Pace Gallery in London in 2013) and Jonathan Anderson, featuring paintings, works on paper and a previously unseen notebook of sketches and writings. Spanning three decades of the artist’s career, this will be the first exhibition of Thek’s work in the UK for over a decade, and the first in the UK to focus on the artist’s painting practice.

Jonathan Anderson is a designer with a curatorial approach to fashion making and brand building, renowned for his innovative and modern interpretation of both womenswear and menswear. Anderson launched his eponymous label, JW Anderson in 2008, quickly gaining critical acclaim and commercial success. In 2013, he was appointed Creative Director of LOEWE, which he turned into a cultural brand with a prismatic identity weaving a vibrant interest for craft with a cerebral yet playful approach to design. In 2016 he founded the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize, the world’s first international award for contemporary craft, and a year later, curated the Disobedient Bodies exhibition at The Hepworth, Wakefield. Since 2019, he has been a Trustee to the Board of the V&A.

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Image: Paul Thek, Untitled (beach with figures), 1986. Watercolour, graphite on paper, 46 x 61 cm, 18 x 24 in. © Estate of Paul Thek.