Alexander de Cadenet is a visual artist working in London who has been exhibiting his artworks internationally for the past twenty years. His artworks reveal an exploration into philosophical and spiritual questions such as the meaning of life & death and the nature of human consciousness.
Working across various media: predominantly painting, photography and sculpture. He is most known for his skull portraits that are set within the tradition of Vanitas. He defines his art work as “a way to give experience meaning in a tangible form; it is an exploration into the mysteries and sacredness of life and its presentation through art”
Since 1996, de Cadenet has been presenting a successive series of photographic "skull portraits", based on x-rays of his subjects' skulls.
The ongoing series of works explores the themes of human achievement and the sacredness of art in particular within the tradition of Vanitas. The first Celebrities Series was launched in 1999 at 30 Underwood Street Gallery in Shoreditch, London. This launched de Cadenet’s skull portraits concept, which he has described as ‘drawing on an everyday language and experience to communicate a deeper message”
Art historian Edward Lucie-Smith has described Alexander de Cadenet as, “a fascinatingly diverse, restlessly experimental artist. His work ranges across every technique one can think of”.
Alexander de Cadenet's art is drawn from his own life experiences and combines a dark humour with a deeper spiritual message.