Alec the King
Christopher R. Inwood
- Sitter: Alex Knight
- Medium: Oil and pigment on wood
- Dimensions: 81 x 131 cm
- Representation: The artist represents themselves
About the artist
Christopher R. Inwood is a hyperrealistic self-taught artist from Brisbane. Inwood’s exceptional technical skill has firmly secured his place as one of Brisbane’s most promising portrait artists, with consecutive showings at Brisbane Street Art Festival and MELT: Portrait Prize with four solo exhibitions under his belt. Inwood refined his knowledge of the arts through his study at the University of Queensland in Art History. His paintings draw on concepts and imagery from his personal experiences, the scientific frontier, the metaphysical, art history, and the digital world.
About the sitter
This is the portrait of Alec Knight, the first Australian male in the New York City Ballet. Alec grew up in Brisbane, and by seven he and his family realised that football was not for him. He was hyper-focused on his dance. At the age of 17, he moved to New York by himself and was selected for the New York City Ballet. For the last six years, Alec has learned the ropes. Now he is stretching his wings in the scene, dancing in principle roles and teaching choreography. Inwood says: “He is a brilliant dancer with devilish looks and a presence as a performer. Outside of the ballet world, he has caught the eye of the fashion industry, gracing the catwalks in Milan for Dolce & Gabbana and modelling for Elle Mcpherson. Despite his looks and all of his achievements what you really stay for is the personality.”
