David Hockney buried in private ceremony

British contemporary art icon David Hockney was buried in a private ceremony on June 11, in accordance with his wishes, with only two mourners present. Born in 1937 in Bradford, England, Hockney died at his home in London.

The Guardian, citing his publicist Erica Bolton, reported that the funeral was held behind closed doors and attended only by his partner, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, 61, and his great-nephew and photographer, Richard Hockney, 33. Both serve as directors of the David Hockney Foundation, which he established in 2008.

Bolton said the many tributes had been deeply moving and a source of comfort, adding that the decision to limit attendance reflected the artist’s wishes.

Hockney was known for his preference for simplicity and for avoiding public attention. He repeatedly said he did not enjoy publicity and in 1990 declined a knighthood offered by the British royal family. Thirteen years later, he said in an interview that he valued his friendships above honors.

Although the funeral was private, memorial services are expected to be held in several cities where Hockney lived and worked. According to the BBC, the first will take place in London next spring, followed by commemorations in Yorkshire, Paris and Los Angeles.

The London service is widely expected to be held at Westminster Abbey, which houses a stained-glass window designed by Hockney in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. Next year will also mark the 90th anniversary of his birth, with a multimedia installation planned at Tate Modern and a retrospective exhibition at Tate Britain.

Hockney rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leading figure in British pop art and went on to achieve global recognition. In 2018, his painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold for $90.3 million, or about 137.3 billion won, setting a then-record price for a work by a living artist at auction.

Following news of his death, tributes poured in across the United Kingdom. King Charles III called him “a cherished friend to many and a source of inspiration,” while Prime Minister Keir Starmer described him as “one of Britain’s most celebrated artists.”


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com