Peter Monkman is an award-winning figurative artist whose career is a testament to a deep, lifelong exploration of identity, perception, and the nature of appearance. A critical milestone in his journey came in 2009 when he won the prestigious BP Portrait Award, arguably the world's most significant prize for contemporary portraiture. His winning painting, The Changeling, was the first in a seminal series that has become the conceptual core of his work. This project began as a deeply personal exploration, depicting the artist's own children and confronting the complex, unsettling transitions of youth and the inner lives that lie beyond a mere likeness. A veteran of the UK art scene, Monkman’s work is deeply informed by both historical and contemporary movements. He was liberated by the raw energy of the punk movement growing up in County Durham and absorbed the freedom of Scandinavian expression from artists like Asger Jorn and Karel Appel. His professional life as the Director of Art at Charterhouse for two decades (2004-2024) further enriched his practice, exposing him to a diverse range of artistic traditions and new trends. He is a member of respected professional collectives such as the Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP), which attests to his standing among his peers. After a distinguished career in the South of England, Peter Monkman has embarked on an exciting new chapter, relocating to York, North Yorkshire, where he now lives and works as a full-time artist. From his new Northern studio, he continues to develop his practice, layering carefully observed portraits with spontaneous mark-making and glazes to create a rich dialogue between form and meaning. His work, now infused with the spirit of his new home, is a unique synthesis of his decades-long career and his continued creative evolution.