Peter Howson

Peter Howson's last decade has been tumultuous even by the standards of one of Britain's most artistic lives. The artist has suffered personal crises, the horrors of war (as the official war artist in Bosnia), controversy after controversy and laterally mental and physical collapse. However, through it all, Howson has pursued his high ideals of drawing and painting with total commitment - and striking success.

Various events have shaped Howson's work and made him the most celebrated artist to come from Scotland. From his childhood as a precocious prodigy to his breakthrough as a star of the famous New Image Glasgow exhibition: from his hard-won Balkan experiences to his rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol - at all times Howson has drawn upon rich sources of imagery and vision to create an astonishing range of work, Delicate drawings in pastel rub shoulders with huge, dynamic canvases of burly, battered boxers or milling apocalyptic crowds. From his concentration on the darker sides of life Howson draws the hope of bright redemption.

- Robert Heller, 2003

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