Hurting Anderson
Hurvin Anderson (b. 1965, Birmingham, UK) is a celebrated British painter of Jamaican heritage. Renowned for his vibrant, semi-abstract canvases, he explores the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, memory, and cultural identity by shifting between realism and modernist abstraction in everyday spaces like barbershops and tropical landscapes. Anderson was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, United Kingdom in 1965. His parents, Elsade and Stedford Anderson, migrated to the UK from Jamaica as a part of the Windrush Generation. Growing up in the UK, Anderson did not have a full immersion in his Caribbean culture, which he explores in his later work. Anderson has been interested in the arts since childhood. He was known for carrying a sketchbook everywhere, often drawing depictions of black protagonists and superheroes. Anderson realized he could pursue a career in art after attending an exhibition of black contemporary art with his brother.[2] This exhibition was also when Anderson began his interest in photography, which plays a key role in his artwork. Anderson received a bachelor's degree in painting from Wimbledon College of Arts and was mentored by George Blacklock and John Mitchell. Throughout his years at school he received multiple awards as well as the William Booker travel scholarship. Anderson did his graduate studies at the Royal College of Art and received his master's in painting by 1998. During this time, economic issues resulted in the necessity to find work immediately. This included both odd jobs and studio work. Anderson then went on to attend Birmingham Polytechnic and studied under their fine arts program. Anderson completed a painting fellowship with the Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education. He later completed two art residences, one in London and one in Trinidad.