About Chuck Close

Chuck Close is a visual artist noted for his highly inventive techniques used to paint the human face, and is best known for his large-scale, photo-based portrait paintings.  In 1988 Close was paralyzed following a rare spinal artery collapse; he continues to paint using a brush-holding device strapped to his wrist and forearm.  

An accomplished printmaker and photographer, Close’s work has been the subject of more than 200 solo exhibitions in more than 20 countries, including major retrospective exhibitions in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, and most recently at the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.  He has also participated in nearly 800 group exhibitions.

In 2000, Close was presented with the prestigious National Medal of Arts by President Clinton. Close is a member of the American Academy of the Arts and Letters, has served on the board of many arts organizations, and was recently appointed by President Obama to serve on The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The artist, who painted President Clinton in 2006, also recently photographed President Obama.