Charming Baker, born in Hampshire in 1964, studied at Central Saint Martin's before beginning his career as a commercial artist whilst developing his personal work. His solo exhibitions at the Truman Brewery in 2007, the Redchurch Street Gallery in 2009, and then across the pond with his 2010 New York exhibition, proved him to be one of the most important rising talents within contemporary art. This was later cemented when his collaboration with Sir Paul Smith, entitled: 'Triumph in the face of absurdity', was displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2012. His work explores various popular themes including life, death, love, joy, terror and despair with a concurrent commentary on the classics and with, at times, dark humour.
Damien Hirst notes of Baker's work: "It’s hard to say exactly what makes a painting great… Its flatness and its depth, its ease and its complexity, a kind of preciousness that’s also kind of throwaway, a risk factor. Who gives a damn? Charming Baker’s paintings are great.”
