Cowboy, 2021

Provenance: Irena Hochman Fine Art Ltd.; acquired from the above by the current owner, 2021.

Hamish Chapman’s practice is defined by highly detailed, close-up depictions of the human body, often isolating fragments to explore identity, perception, and the constructed nature of appearance. His work engages with contemporary portraiture through an almost hyperreal focus on texture and surface, drawing attention to the physicality of skin, hair, and adornment.

In Cowboy (2021), the tightly cropped view of the subject’s ear, hair, and jewellery transforms a familiar motif into an intimate and abstracted composition. The exaggerated scale and meticulous rendering heighten the viewer’s awareness of material detail, while the inclusion of elements such as the hoop earring and braided strand introduces subtle references to identity and styling. Through this focused lens, Chapman invites a reconsideration of portraiture, shifting attention from the face as a whole to the fragmented and constructed aspects of self-representation.