Royal Academy Book Launch, 2021
An Artist in Residence – A Portrait of Jeremy Houghton by Colin Cameron.
Book Launch at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.
In September 2021, the acclaimed British journalist and art critic Colin Cameron published An Artist in Residence, a compelling and richly illustrated biography of Jeremy Houghton, the artist widely regarded as the pre-eminent artist in residence of his generation. The book offers a thoughtful and deeply personal account of Houghton’s unique career, tracing his journey across royal estates, Olympic arenas, air bases, military installations, and sporting institutions—an unparalleled record of residencies that capture both the grandeur and intimacy of British life.
To mark the publication, a special book signing and live interview was held at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London. Set within the historic walls of Burlington House, the Royal Academy—founded in 1768—is one of the most respected institutions in the art world. Run by artists and architects, it has long been a beacon for the promotion, celebration, and education of British art and artists, and an apt setting to reflect on a career so thoroughly interwoven with the national cultural fabric.
During the event, Houghton joined Cameron on stage for a wide-ranging conversation about his path as an artist. From early field sketches in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where a young Houghton documented Zulu culture and his fascination with Rorke’s Drift, to his later prestigious residencies for HM Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, The Prince of Wales at Highgrove, and with institutions such as Wimbledon, Silverstone and the RAF, the discussion offered insight into the rare ability of an artist who is equally at home in royal stables, military parade grounds, and sporting champions’ inner sanctums.
Colin Cameron, whose writing career spans decades of cultural commentary, has contributed extensively to British broadsheets and journals, including The Times, The Spectator, and The Art Newspaper. Known for his incisive yet lyrical prose, Cameron has authored several acclaimed books on British portraiture and modern art. In An Artist in Residence, he applies his signature clarity and curiosity to examine what makes Houghton’s practice so distinctive and enduring. As he writes in the introduction:
“What sets Jeremy Houghton apart is not just his artistic skill, but his psychological disposition—his versatility, his innate curiosity, and his preference for being out of his comfort zone. When in residence, he is intimate, yet mentally detached; present, yet almost invisible. It is this rare combination of qualities that has made him the artist of choice for institutions that are steeped in tradition but reaching for contemporary relevance.”
Indeed, Houghton’s artistry is as much about empathy and observation as it is about technique. His ability to quietly embed himself in high-security, high-profile, and often high-pressure environments—whether shadowing polo players at the Guards Polo Club or sketching members of the Royal Household Cavalry—has earned him comparisons to great British documentarians and painters of national life. His work is often described as possessing an elegant restraint and a timelessness that captures the fleeting moment with remarkable depth.
The book is beautifully presented, with more than 100 illustrations—paintings, drawings, and candid photographs—offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into both the artist’s studio and the extraordinary worlds he has been invited to enter. The publication has already drawn praise from collectors and critics alike for its depth of insight and for the way it honours the relationship between tradition and modernity in contemporary British art.
As Cameron noted during the Royal Academy talk, Jeremy Houghton “has quite literally painted the nation—its monarchs, its athletes, its soldiers, and its horses—and done so with a quiet dignity that speaks to the best of British cultural heritage.”
An Artist in Residence is not just a chronicle of a life in art; it is a tribute to a form of artistic diplomacy—bridging worlds through observation, sketch, and brushstroke. It is a portrait of a man whose art continues to celebrate British excellence in all its forms.
To order the book or enquire about Jeremy Houghton’s available works and commissions, please contact [email protected]
