Bio
Sarah Graham was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire in 1977 and has become one of the UK’s most recognised contemporary realist painters. She studied Fine Art at De Montfort University in Leicester, graduating in 2000, before quickly establishing herself as an artist with a unique vision. Working from her studio in Hitchin, Sarah has developed a practice rooted in photorealism, with a focus on vibrant, playful subject matter.
Her paintings explore the intersection of nostalgia, childhood wonder, and technical mastery, often featuring sweets, toys, and everyday objects enlarged to dazzling effect. Over the past two decades, Sarah has built a reputation for her colourful, joyful paintings, and she continues to work as a full-time artist with a growing global following.
History
Sarah’s career took off in the early 2000s when she began exhibiting in group shows and art fairs, leading to her first solo exhibition in 2001. She has since shown her work internationally, with exhibitions across Europe, the United States, and Asia, alongside regular UK exhibitions. Her reputation grew further when her art was chosen by the British band Kaiser Chiefs for the cover of their 2005 single Modern Way, which brought her imagery to a wider public audience.
Sarah’s paintings are now collected worldwide and have been featured in both public and private collections. She has also been commissioned for projects by brands and organisations, and her work continues to receive significant media attention for its striking detail and joyful subject matter.
Style & Technique
Sarah Graham is best known for her vibrant photorealist paintings that transform familiar childhood objects into extraordinary works of art. Using oils, she meticulously recreates sweets, gumballs, lollipops, toys, and other playful objects, rendering them with dazzling light, intense colour, and glass-like shine. Her process begins with carefully composed photographs, which she then translates into large-scale oil paintings that capture every reflection and shadow with precision.
The result is work that feels both nostalgic and hyper-modern, inviting viewers to rediscover simple joys through a lens of vivid intensity. While her subjects are playful, the scale and technical mastery elevate them to powerful contemporary statements, making her one of the most distinctive voices in British realism today.
