JENNY SAVILLE

Born in Cambridge, England, in 1970, Jenny Saville rose to prominence in the early 1990s as a leading member of the Young British Artists (YBAs). This movement transformed the landscape of British contemporary art.

After studying at the Glasgow School of Art, Saville’s graduate work caught the attention of influential collector Charles Saatchi, who offered her a contract and a platform at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Her early career was shaped by her inclusion in the landmark Young British Artists III exhibition (1994) and the Sensation show at the Royal Academy of Arts (1997), which propelled her to international acclaim.

She currently lives and works between London, Oxford, and Palermo.

Early Years

Saville’s fascination with the human body began during her studies at Glasgow, where she immersed herself in anatomy books and observed plastic surgery operations in New York. These experiences informed her distinctive approach to painting flesh, form, and the realities of the body.

In 1991, she spent a term at the University of Cincinnati. Her studies focused her interest on the societal implications and taboos surrounding the ‘imperfections’ of flesh. While on a fellowship in Connecticut in 1994, Saville observed a New York City plastic surgeon at work. Studying the reconstruction of human flesh was formative in her perception of the body—its resilience, as well as its fragility.

Jenny Saville Artworks

Saville’s practice centres on large-scale paintings and drawings that confront traditional ideals of beauty and the representation of the female nude in art. Her works are celebrated for their raw depiction of the human form, challenging both art historical conventions and contemporary standards of body image.

Seminal Early Works

Saville’s early paintings, such as Plan (1993) and Propped (1992), are iconic for their unflinching portrayal of the body’s mass and imperfections, rendered with expressive, tactile brushwork. Propped became one of the most expensive works by a living female artist sold at auction.

Continued Innovation

Throughout her career, Saville has continued to explore the boundaries of figuration and abstraction, often working with models who have undergone surgery or who challenge binary gender norms. Her later works incorporate multiple perspectives and layered forms, further pushing the possibilities of contemporary figurative painting.

Awards and Accolades

• Elected Royal Academician, Royal Academy of Arts (2007)
• One of only two women in the top 10 auction lots sold in 2023.

Exhibitions

Jenny Saville has been the subject of major solo and group exhibitions at leading institutions.

Solo Exhibitions

• Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting, National Portrait Gallery, London (2025)
• Jenny Saville, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford (2012)
• Jenny Saville, Norton Museum of Art, Florida (2012)
• Jenny Saville, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Rome (2005)
• Now: Jenny Saville, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2018)

Group Exhibitions

• Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection, Royal Academy of Arts, London (1997)
• 50th Venice Biennale (2003)
• All Too Human, Tate Britain, London (2018)
• Women Painting Women, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (2022)

Jenny Saville FAQs

Ocula | 2025