Richard Young
United Kingdom, 1961
Artist's works
Artist Profile
Sequential Dancer - Olesya Novikova
Subtle Confidence
Demure Ballerina
Dance Emotion - Alicia Alonso
Introduction and Experience
Richard Young (b. 1961, Yorkshire, England) is a celebrated British figurative painter whose work captures the raw emotion and kinetic energy of performance. Although he began oil painting at the age of twelve, Young initially pursued a career in engineering, holding senior management roles across the Middle East. Despite his professional success in design and consultancy, his devotion to art remained constant. He returned to his creative practice in 2003 as a self-taught artist and committed fully to his craft in 2018.
Young’s work is defined by his mastery of the palette knife and a deliberate, limited color range. By blending pigments directly on the canvas, he develops a distinctive visual language that bridges contemporary realism and classical romanticism. His work is particularly noted for its dramatic use of chiaroscuro—the interplay of light and shadow—to evoke the fleeting atmosphere and intensity of dancers in motion.
With acclaimed works such as Dance Intensity and Flamenco Performance, Young has earned international recognition and a dedicated global following. He currently operates the R. Young Art Gallery in the United Kingdom, where he continues to explore the intersection of movement, light, and the human spirit.
Exhibitions and Awards
Selected Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2013
Red Bubble 23rd Juried Invitational Solo Exhibition—USA
2012
Red Bubble 19th Juried Invitational Solo Exhibition—USA
2010
Red Bubble 8th Juried Invitational Solo Exhibition—USA
Group Exhibitions
2020
Royal Berkshire Hospital (In aid of NHS charity)—Reading, Berkshire, UK
Art of Caring (In aid of NHS charity)—London, UK
2019
La Galleria Pall Mall—London, UK
Holybrook Gallery—Reading, Berkshire, UK
Royal Berkshire Hospital (In aid of NHS charity)—Reading, Berkshire, UK
2018
X-Power Gallery—Taichung, Taiwan
A.R.T. Special Exhibition—Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taipei, Taiwan
2017
X-Power Gallery—Taichung, Taiwan
Burton Art Gallery—Bideford, Devon, UK
Bellavita Art Club—Taipei, Taiwan
2016
Patchings Art Centre—Calverton, Nottingham, UK
2015
Bellavita Art Club—Taipei, Taiwan
2014
Bellavita Art Club—Taipei, Taiwan
Devon Artist Network—Northcott Theatre, Exeter, UK
2013
Devon Artist Network—Gloss Gallery, Exeter, UK
X-Power Gallery—Taichung, Taiwan
2012
VIP Club, Taipei 101—Taipei, Taiwan
2010
Autumn Show—Artstore Gallery, Barnstaple, UK
30th Anniversary Open Exhibition—Dee Fine Arts, Heswall, UK
All the World's a Stage—Obsidian Art, Buckinghamshire, UK
New Year, New Work—Broomhill Art Hotel, Barnstaple, UK
2009
MacGregor Fine Art—Edinburgh, UK
Homes & Interiors Exhibition—SSEC, Glasgow, UK
Royal Highland Show—Edinburgh, UK
2008
Tavistock Wharf Arts and Entertainment Centre—Devon, UK
British Modern Masters—Touring Exhibition (Birmingham, Cardiff, Worcester, Stratford, York, Oxford, Bath), UK
The Art of Passion—Artlinks Asia, The Landmark Commerical Centre, Hong Kong
Art of Seduction—Artatfive Gallery, Brighton, UK
2007
Spring Unveiling—Primary Elements Gallery, Oregon, USA
2006
Art of Seduction—Artatfive Gallery, Brighton, UK
2005
Head Street Gallery—Halstead, Essex, UK
Masters of the Female Form—Fine Art UK, Cheltenham, UK
The Drawing Room—Chesham, Buckinghamshire, UK
Flesh Perspectives—Artifex Gallery, Sutton Coldfield, UK
Art of Love—LondonArt, Oxo Tower Wharf Gallery, London, UK
2004
Head Street Gallery—Halstead, Essex, UK
Haddon Galleries—Torquay, Devon, UK
Sant Jordi (St George) Exhibition—Group BATIK Art Gallery, Barcelona, Spain Woburn Gallery—London, UK
Art of Love—Arndean Gallery, London, UK
Group BATIK Art Gallery—Barcelona, Spain
Art Fairs
2020
Windsor Contemporary Art Fair—UK
Surrey Contemporary Art Fair—UK
Affordable Art Fair—London, UK
2019
Windsor Contemporary Art Fair—UK
Newbury Contemporary Art Fair—UK
Surrey Contemporary Art Fair—UK
2012 – 2018
Art Revolution Taipei (A.R.T.)—World Trade Centre, Taipei, Taiwan
2016
NEC Spring Fair—NEC, Birmingham, UK
2010
Passion in Art—Fine Art UK, Ledbury, Herefordshire, UK
2004
Erotica Festival—Grand Hall, Olympia, London, UK
Awards
2019
Secret Rehearsal—Finalist, Art In The City Open Competition, Gloucester Cathedral, UK
Mystique—Finalist, Visual Art Open Competition, Chester Arts Fair, UK
2018
Freedom, Mystique, Private Dancer, Composure—Excellence Award, Artavita 29th Online Art Contest, USA
Individuality, With Deftness, Demure Ballerina, —Excellence Award, Artavita 27th Online Art Serene TranquillityContest, USA
Serene Tranquillity—Finalist, Fine Art Trade Guild 2018 Art and Framing Awards, UK
2016
Refined Grace—Finalist, The Artist Category 2016 Open Art Competition, Patchings Art Centre, UK
Musing Dancer—Finalist, Fine Art Trade Guild 2016 Art and Framing Awards, UK
2014
Solitaire—Finalist, Fine Art Trade Guild 2014 Art and Framing Awards, UK
2013
Solitaire—1st Place in Traditional Art, Excellence Award, Best in Show: Red Bubble 23rd Juried Invitational Solo Exhibition, USA
2012
Refined Grace—Excellence Award (Figurative Painting), Red Bubble 19th Juried Invitational Solo Exhibition, USA
2011
Poise in Silhouette—Finalist, Aesthetica Magazine Creative Works Competition, UK
The Passion of Dance—4th Place, Artavita Competition, USA
Artist Website—Finalist, Fine Art Trade Guild Art and Framing Awards, UK
2010
Leap into the Unknown—Finalist, Aesthetica Magazine Creative Works Competition, UK
The Passion of Dance—1st Place in Traditional Art, Excellence Award, Best in Show: Red Bubble 8th Juried Invitational Solo Exhibition, USA
2008
Un Momento Intenso—Special Merit Award, Canon / Art Business Today "Print to Win" Competition, UK
Selected—"Best Traditional Artist": Deviant Art, International
Collections
Private Collections
Works are held in private collections in Taiwan, USA, and England.