Clive Bryant

Clive Bryant is a figurative artist born in Birmingham and based in Milton Keynes. His work explores the intricacies of human connection, focusing on how essentially inert objects, such as oil paintings, manage to elicit an emotional reaction within the viewer.

Clive views art as alchemy, turning base materials into objects of beauty that convey life and emotion. Fascinated by how even a single brushstroke can evoke deep feelings, he combines traditional realism with contemporary expressionistic abstraction to create compelling works that encourage viewers to engage with the underlying narratives.

His background in computing makes him naturally interested in Artificial Intelligence. He began developing his own AI models in 2022, allowing him to produce reference material for his oil paintings in the same way that photo reference is often utilised. Because of his experience painting from life, he is able to breathe a presence into these invented subjects, engaging the viewer on multiple levels. This raises an interesting question: how are his works capable of provoking curiosity about his subjects’ emotions and thoughts when these people are entirely imaginary?

Clive graduated from the Norfolk Painting School in 2016. He is the secretary and treasurer of the Contemporary British Portrait Painters and a member of the Northampton Town and County Art Society. He won the People category of the SAA’s “Artist of the Year” competition in both 2023 and 2024.