After receiving his bachelor of fine arts in painting and art history from the Emily Carr School of Art in 1974, Richard Hambleton launched his “Mass Murder” series. The series was painted on the streets of over 15 cities across Canada and the United States. Hambleton would outline friends in chalk drawings, splashing them with red paint to mimic the remnants of a crime scene.
In 1979, Hambleton moved permanently to the Lower East Side of New York City. It was here that Hambleton gained notoriety for his “Shadowman” paintings of the early 1980s. Over the course of the next decade, his ominous silhouettes painted in unsuspecting corners, alleys and side streets had appeared in over six hundred locations in major cities, including New York City, London, Paris, as well as both sides of the Berlin Wall.
A departure from the spontaneity of the traditional street tag, Hambleton’s paintings were site-specific conceptual works intended to provoke unsuspecting pedestrians with a sobering moment of contemplation. His first solo exhibition opened in the Lower East Side of New York in 1982, and just two years later, his work was included in the Venice Biennale. He was included in the Venice Biennale again in 1988. From 2009–11, a major retrospective was mounted in collaboration with Giorgio Armani, touring multiple venues that included the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and Phillips de Pury in New York.
Shadowman, a film about Hambleton by director Oren Jacoby, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21 2017. Today, Hambleton’s works are held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Moco Museum in Amsterdam, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. Hambleton continued to live and work in New York until his death in 2017.
Find a collection of Richard Hambleton art on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Chase Contemporary)
"4 Shadows", 2012
By Richard Hambleton
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This work belongs to Richard Hambleton’s late Shadow period, in which the human figure is reduced to a haunting silhouette—simultaneously present and anonymous. In Four Shadows, Hamb...
Canvas, Oil
Standing Shadow - Run
By Richard Hambleton
Located in London, GB
2018 Giclée on 308gsm Hahnemuhle paper 145 x 77 cm Edition of 75 Numbered by Hambleton in pencil as well as bearing the Richard Hambleton Archive stamp verso Excellent condition Fram...
Paper, Giclée
Untitled Rodeo
By Richard Hambleton
Located in London, GB
2003 Acrylic on paper 66 x 53 cm (26.1 x 21 inches) Framed Richard Hambleton (1952–2017) was a Canadian-born artist and a pioneering figure in street art, best known for his 'Shadow...
Paper, Acrylic
Price Upon Request
Richard Hambleton Drawings 2016 (set of 3 works)
By Richard Hambleton
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Richard Hambleton Drawings 2016: Set of 3 unique, individual hand-signed drawings originally obtained directly from Hambleton; framed as a triptych. Medium: Black Marker on found bo...
Paper, Permanent Marker
Vendimiadora (Grape Harvester)
By Roman Frances
Located in Atlanta, GA
Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...
Canvas, Oil, Giclée
Bathers, Oil on Canvas, 1914
By Roger Grillon
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Roger GRILLON (1881-1938), France, 1914. "Bathers". With frame: 114x94 cm - 44.9x37 inches ; without frame: 92x73cm - 36.2x28.75 inches. 30F format. Signed lower lef...
Canvas, Oil
$15,000
H 11 in W 8.5 in
Keith Haring - Original handwritten Letter, signed by Keith Haring on letterhead
By Keith Haring
Located in New York, NY
Keith Haring Original Handwritten, hand signed Letter, ca. 1987 Ink on Haring's Private letterhead Stationery, Hand written and hand signed by Keith Haring Unique, original piece: ch...
Paper, Ink, Permanent Marker
$3,500
H 28.94 in W 36.82 in D 2.17 in
Jacques Hubert BONNEFOY "Woman on a Red Armchair" Oil on canvas, 1942
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Jacques Hubert Bonnefoy (Jakuber), Large 1942 Oil on Canvas, “Woman in a Red Armchair,” France. Vintage 1940s French Expressionist Oil Paintings Materials: Oil on Canvas, Wood Frame...
Canvas, Oil
YVES DIEY The Nude, Oil on canvas, 1930s
By Yves Diey
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Yves Dieÿ (1892-1984), France – The Nude. A striking oil on canvas by the renowned French artist Yves Dieÿ (1892-1984), depicting a sensual and elegant nude. This wo...
Canvas, Oil
$178
H 12 in W 9 in
Ice Coffee Bombshell 3 - Neutral Beige Abstract Figurative Portrait
By Lindsey McCord
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by her background in fashion, artist Lindsey McCord creates vibrant portraits that encapsulate the confidence that comes with the fun of being stylish and chic. Her figures ...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$419
H 25.6 in W 19.69 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary abstract expressive woman's portrait acrylic painting on paper
By Mougenot Natalya
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressive woman's portrait acrylic painting on paper was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot. Contemplating the Present captivates with its bold use...
Paper, Acrylic
Thoughtful
By Roman Frances
Located in Atlanta, GA
Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...
Canvas, Oil, Giclée
$28,000
H 7.75 in W 7.5 in
Robert Rauschenberg -Snowflake Crime XIX ACE Gallery Coll unique signed painting
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in New York, NY
Historic, institutional quality unique Rauschenberg signed work on paper, with storied provenance: a real gem: Robert Rauschenberg 'Snowflake Crime XIX', from the ACE Gallery Collec...
Fabric, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Handmade Paper, Permanent Marker
$1,818
H 19.69 in W 25.2 in
Mecano by Christophe Dupety - Portrait painting, red, blue, figurative, man
By Christophe Dupety
Located in Paris, FR
Mecano is a painting on paper by French contemporary artist Christophe Dupety, dimensions are 50 × 64 cm (19.7 x 25.2 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and comes with a certi...
Paper, Acrylic
Splendor
By Roman Frances
Located in Atlanta, GA
Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...
Canvas, Oil, Giclée
$4,022
H 39.38 in W 39.38 in D 3.94 in
Don't let the sun blast your shadow- 21st Century Painting of a Nude Boy
By David van der Linden
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
David van der Linden 'Don't let the sun blast your shadow'' 100 x 100 cm Oil on canvas framed in a black wooden frame (included in price) 115x115 cm David van der Linden is a Dutch...
Canvas, Oil
Landscape
By Richard Hambleton
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Richard Hambleton (American, 1954 - ) Title: Landscape Year: 1988 Medium: Engraved Steel and Acrylic mounted to Wood, signed and dated verso Size: 18 x 36 in. (45.72 x...
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 24 in W 31 in
Untitled (Black Headshadow with Yellow and Orange Background)
By Richard Hambleton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
New York Times art critic Michael Brenson, when commenting on Hambleton's exceptional skill at handling paint, wrote, "When he throws white or black on the canvas, his waves break, h...
Mixed Media, Canvas