Dexter Brown

Harrow-born Dexter Brown is considered one of the world’s top motoring artists and his works hang in the Museums, Art Galleries and the private homes of many collectors. Dexter is best known for his impressionist paintings – primarily of Ferraris – but he paints and draws many different subjects including wildlife. Some of his  works are painted under the name DeBryune.

Educated at Harrow School of Art, 80 year-old Dexter started his career by working in advertising. In 1978 he left his job and started painting live music bands at the Electric Ballroom in Camden High Street in London. Three years later, by 1981, he had designed the album covers and stage costumes of pop singer Toyah Willcox and served as artist-in-residence at the Duke of York Theatre.  Here he produced portraits of Al Pacino, Glenda Jackson and Billy Connelly. Later portraits have included Nicole Kidman, Billie Piper, Angelina Jolie and Steve McQueen – which is owned by this exhibition’s curator Andrew Marriott.     

But the largest body of his work has his impressionist paintings of cars, car badges and car people. He has also produced sculptures, a painted clock and even a tea pot – which is on display this week. He works in many different mediums from oils to pencil and his collages of preparatory drawings are also sought after. His early works hung on the walls of the Steering Wheel Club and resulted in sales and commissions, several for posters of up-coming races. 

On these his reputation was built and in the 1980’s he received commissions from leading clients including Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and British Leyland. The first book about Dexter was published in 2001. In 2011 he painted a Force India Formula 1 car in an impressionist manner. 

Dexter continues to paint to commission but rarely exhibits these days. His most recent in London in 2015 saw a proportion of the proceeds go to Combat Stress and was extremely successful.