“William Oxer [B.A. F.R.S.A.] is not merely a painter; he is a distinctive sensibility, with a poetic vision he explores in many media. His art is affirmative, evocative and forgiving and offers us, in short, a return to the true and serious tradition.” Sir Professor Roger Scruton (1944-2020)
William Joseph Oxer B.A. F.R.S.A. b.1973
Artist's Statement – William Oxer
I see painting as not merely a depiction of form or likeness—it is the revelation of presence. I do not set out to describe the external world, but to listen for the silent language within it. Every canvas is an invitation to contemplate, not just to look. What interests me most is the inner life—the echo of a thought not spoken, a grief unshared, a hope held quietly in the soul.
"The soul does not shout," I often say. "It waits. And if the artist is patient, it will show itself in the stillness between brushstrokes."
My work is grounded in a belief in the redemptive and spiritual function of beauty. In an age that often celebrates irony and detachment, I strive to make images that are sincere, affirmative, and emotionally resonant. Beauty, to me, is not a luxury but a necessity—a form of truth that heals, confronts, and uplifts.
In portraiture, I am drawn not simply to likeness but to essence. I watch for those fleeting moments when the sitter is unaware of being observed—when their defences lower, their soul emerges, and a rare kind of truth is made visible. Vulnerability is where beauty lives, and it is there that I try to hold the gaze.
"A good portrait doesn’t flatter," I’ve said. "It recognises. It recognises something in the subject that perhaps even they haven’t dared to face—and offers it back to them with kindness."
Much of my inspiration is drawn from the Pre-Raphaelites, the Symbolists, and the great Romantic painters. I am less interested in novelty than I am in meaning. I want my work to stand outside of time—to belong to the eternal conversation about love, mortality, memory, and transcendence.
Symbolism is central to my process. I often weave into my paintings elements that might not immediately register but which speak in the language of myth and dream. These symbols are not decorative; they are psychological markers, like lighthouses in a sea of emotion, helping to orient the viewer inward as much as outward.
"We do not look at a painting to escape reality," I believe. "We look at a painting to remember what is real—beyond the noise, beyond the mask."
I consider each piece not as a product, but as a window—an offering. My hope is that, in encountering one of my paintings, the viewer feels not merely that they have seen something, but that something has seen them.
William Oxer – Artist Biography
William Oxer FRSA is a British artist whose paintings resonate with poetic intensity, spiritual depth, and a timeless commitment to beauty. Working primarily in oils, Oxer’s art draws on the influence of the Romantic, Symbolist, and Pre-Raphaelite traditions, yet remains deeply personal and contemporary in its emotional force. His works are suffused with symbolism, myth, and a sense of the eternal—a quiet but insistent rebellion against the fleeting and superficial.
From an early age, William painted with an instinctive drive toward expressing the ineffable. His passion for art ran parallel to his academic interests, and he graduated with Honours in English from the University of Warwick. Shortly after, he was offered a place at the then Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture. However, on the recommendation of the Institute, he instead accepted a formative position with Alec Cobbe—artist, restorer, and custodian of the renowned Cobbe Collection.
Living at Hatchlands Park in Surrey, the home of the Collection, William worked on a diverse array of high-level projects. These included interior design for the Walker Art Gallery, sourcing artwork and antiques for private clients at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and contributing to an exhibition for The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. He was also involved in large-scale heritage interior design for stately homes such as Goodwood House, Petworth House, and Wilton, and consulted on period decoration for historic residences including Cathedral Close in Salisbury.
Simultaneously, he worked in museum and exhibition design, most notably producing the atmospheric backdrop and stage for the William Beckford Exhibition at Christie’s, St James’s, London, and contributing to the development of the Museum of Bath Architecture, facilitated by Jesca Verdon-Smith and Sophie Scruton.
Despite the breadth of his early professional life, painting remained the constant and defining focus. His studio practice has always been central to his identity and over the years, his works have steadily gained acclaim from collectors, galleries, and institutions alike. A testament to this is Lost Jewel, one of his most celebrated paintings—an evocative meditation on longing and loss, rendered with a haunting quietude and luminous grace. Its symbolic richness and delicate execution have made it a favourite among collectors and critics.
Oxer’s dedication to beauty and meaning in art also led him to work with charities, often donating pieces for auction. In May 2022, a commissioned artwork was auctioned at the Royal Versailles Ball at the Palace of Versailles, following a reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris—an event hosted amid some of the finest British and French decorative arts in Europe.
His most recent London exhibition took place in Mayfair in December 2024, and his work continues to attract international interest. In recent years, his paintings have been displayed on gallery billboards across London, including Waterloo Station, and featured on a prime-time Italian arts and culture programme. He was also invited to put himself forward for Sky Arts' Portrait Artist of the Year programme for the 2025/6 season.
In 2017, William was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), an honour awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts, manufacturing, and commerce. The late philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, a long-time admirer of Oxer’s work, once said:
“William Oxer is not merely a painter; he is a distinctive sensibility, with a poetic vision he explores in many media. His art is affirmative, evocative and forgiving, and offers us, in short, a return to the true and serious tradition.”
Today, William lives and works in a Georgian Old Rectory in the Cotswold Hills with his partner, daughter, and five dogs. In the quiet of the countryside, he continues to pursue his lifelong artistic calling: to create works that move the soul, honour the past, and offer glimpses of the eternal.
