RICHARD BERNER,
DIAMOND CHAMPS, 2020,
Mixed media on paper, signed,
30cm x 30cm,
Original

Richard Berner is an internationally collected artist based in Brighton, UK. Working in a variety of media, but best known for his unique and highly detailed pieces, using inks, fineliners and gouache paint. He creates visual alchemy by constructing iconic images, often formed of his countless figures or 'Champs'. Influenced by the Surrealists, Berner draws inspiration from the bizarre and absurd. He challenges assumptions with a well-honed sense of irony and his distinctive humour. After attending art college where the tutors told him there was no future in drawing his weird little characters, he found his way to Brighton. Working independently, without such restrictions, the Champs were set free. They have been thought of as everything from lost souls to lemmings, Berner considers them all Champs.