b. 1977

Sam Jackson has been called one of the 'New Masters'. For this May 2008 exhibition, Boundaries, Jackson presented a series of small portraits and breathtakingly graphic depictions of sexual acts. The paintings challenge the taboos that exist in our ability to perceive and engage with these different aspects of our physical experience.

Jackson is the latest talent emerging as part of the 'New London School'. His paintings wholeheartedly embrace a return to an appreciation of the aesthetics and the beauty of things but with an element of subversion. A graduate from the Royal Academy's MA in 2007, Jackson's work has already been collected by Kay Saatchi, David Roberts, Sir Norman Rosenthal and painter Maurice Cockrill.

Jackson explains: 'My work explores perceptions of eroticism and power in relation to the image. I aim, through the use of traditional media, to bring the viewer into a space in which he feels at once seduced and yet at the same time is confronted with a deeper motive. My paintings are not intended to shock, but rather to encourage a debate in which preconceptions about the subject matter give way to a discussion on themes of freedom, violence and sexuality.

'A central tenet of my work is the elimination of boundaries and taboos in our perception of the human figure, and especially the way in which it has traditionally been represented in the fine arts. I treat even the most difficult and challenging themes with the same care that I treat the depiction of a face or a hand. The superficial source materials range from the internet to polaroid photographs.'

Jackson's work is currently included in Kay Saatchi's show, Anticipation, at Selfridges. Forthcoming exhibitions include The Future Can Wait at the Mark Moore Gallery in LA and other group and solo shows in East London, Rome, Frankfurt, Berlin and at the New York Scope art fair.

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