Letters, words and phrases - the primary tools of communication and forming narratives. Art is also a medium for artists to communicate with and narrate the world around them, so what happens when you combine the two?

Text and language-based art is primarily a postmodernist and contemporary movement although the use of letters and words in painting is not a new concept. In the past, it was used with the specific intention of authorship but in the twentieth century, incorporating language into art became more popular with the innovative Cubist works of Braque and Picasso. For conceptual artists in the 60s such as John Baldessari and Joseph Kosuth, words played a central role in the analysis and ideas surrounding visual forms.

Text-based art employs words as the principal elements. The reasons are varied; language might be used to express disillusionment with contemporary issues, to provide a commentary on society or for the pure aesthetic value of letters and words

Whether it be the bold, stencil-inspired letters of the British painter Niki Hare, the mesmerising calligraphy of Muhammed Zaman or the work of French urban artist, Tarek Ben Yakhlef who is inspired by graffiti art, comic books and Arabic calligraphy, let us inspire you with our collection of text-based contemporary paintings.