Beau Gabriel

Beau Gabriel’s paintings examine how identity is constructed and performed through images, drawing parallels between the social function of Renaissance and Baroque portraiture and the self-fashioning practices of contemporary digital culture. Working from photographs sourced online alongside personal observations, he explores the ways in which images shape perceptions of the self, reconciling the conventions of figurative painting with contemporary visual culture. Combining art historical references with contemporary subjects, Gabriel constructs compositions that balance humour and intimacy, positioning everyday experiences within a broader history of image-making. Through a sustained engagement with early Italian painting and the material traditions of oil paint, his work considers the relationship between historical and contemporary modes of representation, exploring questions of influence, authenticity and personal identity within an image-saturated culture.

Gabriel was born in New York City in 1992. He graduated from Yale University in 2014 with a degree in Russian Literature before completing an MA in Illustration at the Royal College of Art, London, in 2019. Recent solo exhibitions include Roadside Thistles with C.G. Williams, Siena (2024); Salt Marsh Hay at C.G. Williams, London (2025); and Blackberry Rondo at CARVALHO, New York (2025). He has also participated in group exhibitions across the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and China. Gabriel currently lives and works in London.