Russell Young on George Michael, Diamond Dust, and His Return to London

Russell Young, the British photographer who shot George Michael's iconic 'Faith' album cover in 1987, has turned to painting full-time since the early 1990s. Known for medium-to-large silkscreens dusted with diamond dust, he cites Andy Warhol as his primary influence and owns one of Warhol's printing presses. His works, which often depict pop culture figures like Jennifer Aniston, David Bowie, Brad Pitt, and Barack Obama, are collected globally. In 2003, he gained critical attention with the 'Pig Portraits' series. Young recently debuted two new series, 'Fame' and 'Icons', at Halcyon Gallery inside Harrods in London, marking the first time in Harrods' 171-year history that an artist has exhibited in its iconic window. The series explore celebrity as a cultural phenomenon, incorporating song titles, lyrics, and quotes into text paintings. Young also discussed his abstract oil painting series 'A Mid Summer Night’s Dream', which departs from celebrity imagery and invites viewers to interpret the natural world. He expressed a desire to exhibit his large abstract paintings in Italy, where he has ancestral roots and spends summer vacations.