Born in 1981, self-taught artist Rob Hubbell maintains his practice in Southern Illinois. Though he works with a variety of mediums, such as charcoal and ceramic, he is most well-known and celebrated for his oil paintings.

Hubbell works primarily in portraiture, realistically depicting humans and animals with a deft hand. His unassuming subjects belie worlds of depth. From the color palette to the setting and ambiguous facial expressions (à la da Vinci’s Mona Lisa), his works often raise more questions than they answer. The eyes of his subjects are particularly striking, acting as gateways to their possible state of mind. Across his portraits, ranging from somber women to sorrowful clowns, one truth becomes clear: Hubbell is a master at portraying the human condition.

He uses a limited color palette, a method utilized by many classical masters; many of his colors are mixed by him, and unique to a particular painting. He also makes his own stretcher bars, and stretches his canvases by hand. In our modern world of automatization and delegation, the effects of which trickle down even to our artists, it is bold and refreshing to see artwork so unique and hand-crafted.

Hubbell is represented by Untitled Fine Art in St. Louis, Missouri. His involvement with the gallery has opened the door for several successful solo and group shows in other art spaces. His works are collected across the United States, and appear in international collections in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Argentina.