Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people – the point where
we go inside them – is the face. It tells all. — David Hockney

Bringing together portraits from the 20th century to the present day, this exhibition traces a line through the varied approaches taken by artists to depict their subjects on paper. In contrast to the anatomical focus of figure studies, portraits often go beyond the body to offer a glimpse of the inner life of the person portrayed. In ink, pencil, charcoal and paint, artists articulate the particularities of their subjects as found in their facial expressions, gestures and body language. In turn, through the act of artistic observation, the artist lays bare their own relationship to the individuals they illustrate, whether informed by lived experience or imagined encounters. From large-scale close ups of facial features to reimaginings of art-historical portraits and intimate renditions of loved ones, the works on view reflect the diverse ways in which portraits might capture the breadth of human experience.

Placing historical portraits alongside new works made for the exhibition, Drawn into the Present: Portraits on Paper brings together works by Georg Baselitz, Joseph Beuys, Adrian Ghenie, David Hockney, Alex Katz, Robert Longo, Bjarne Melgaard, Paul P., Elizabeth Peyton, Francis Picabia, Robert Rauschenberg, Raqib Shaw, Sturtevant, Banks Violette, Andy Warhol and Yan Pei-Ming.

The exhibition takes place concurrently with Andy Warhol: The Joseph Beuys Portraits at Thaddaeus Ropac London.