Joseph Loughborough

Bio

Joseph Loughborough (1981–2025) was a British artist known for his powerful figurative works that explored themes of identity, emotion and the human condition. Through expressive linework and dramatic, often distorted compositions, his drawings were raw, layered and psychologically charged.

Born in Portsmouth, a historic coastal city in southern England, Loughborough spent his early years exploring abandoned boatyards and tidal inlets. These experiences continued to inform the textures of his visual world. After studying illustration at Portsmouth University, he worked as a storyboard artist and designer before fully committing to his studio practice. His work reflected influences from fine art, philosophy, skateboarding culture and urban aesthetics.

He spent nearly a decade in Berlin and Paris, cities that shaped his engagement with German Expressionism, classical sculpture, graffiti and psychoanalytic theory. Later based in London, he continued to create works that evoked ritual, vulnerability and inner conflict.

Working primarily in pastels, charcoal, ink and gold leaf, Loughborough’s solitary figures often appeared suspended in moments of emotional tension, caught between chaos and control, defiance and fragility. Inspired by existential thinkers like Camus and Kierkegaard, as well as the psychological inquiries of Freud and Jung, his practice merged the cerebral with the visceral.

His work has been exhibited widely across the UK, Europe and the US, and is held in numerous international collections. He exhibited with us on multiple occasions, including a solo show in 2019, and returned in June 2025 with These Corroded Poems, the final body of work completed shortly before his passing.

Joseph Loughborough died in June 2025, aged 44. His work remains a lasting testament to his talent, his vision and his deeply committed life as an artist.

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