Billy Childish

Billy Childish is a British artist, musician, poet, and writer, born on December 1, 1959, in Chatham, Kent, England. He began his artistic career in the late 1970s as a founding member of the Stuckist art movement, which sought to promote figurative painting and traditional techniques in the face of the growing dominance of conceptual art.

Childish has been an incredibly prolific artist throughout his career, producing thousands of paintings, drawings, and prints, as well as writing dozens of books of poetry, fiction, and autobiography. He is also a celebrated musician, having played in several influential bands over the years, including Thee Headcoats, Thee Milkshakes, and The Buff Medways.

Despite his considerable success, Childish has remained deeply committed to his working-class roots and has often rejected the trappings of fame and success in favor of maintaining his artistic integrity. He continues to live and work in the Medway area of Kent, where he runs the L-13 Light Industrial Workshop, a printmaking and publishing operation that produces limited-edition books, prints, and other artworks.