“Being A Painter, Or An Artist In General, Is A Relatively Lonely Discipline”: Rocco Ritchie Is Taking Things Back To Basics

As the child of two of the world’s most famous creatives and himself a multidisciplinary artist with accomplishments well beyond his years, the 26-year-old has lived the kind of life that would justify multiple biographies. Since finding his calling in art, he’s helmed four solo exhibitions in three years – the latest of which took him to Mexico City and Lisbon, only to discover that all roads simply lead to being Back on the Brush.

“Sometimes I'm sitting there [at fashion shows] thinking, ‘Why am I here?’” Rocco Ritchie admits. It’s a predicament that even the much-hyped painter and sculptor who has been in the limelight since birth found himself in at the Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2027 show in September. It’s also proof that imposter syndrome discriminates against no one. 

Maybe in an alternative universe, one in which Ritchie followed the fashion path that began to form when he interned on Savile Row, he wouldn’t feel the need to ask himself that question. However, during his time cutting his teeth on the iconic sartorial postcode, he was also studying fine art at Central Saint Martins, and it would ultimately be that lane that would capture his permanent focus. 

Both career-wise and for Ritchie internally, it’s a move that has served him well so far. In his 2024 exhibition The Tourist, which recreated paparazzi shots from his childhood and adolescence, he reclaimed his own stories – ones he felt were taken from him by the media as the child of two of the most famous people in the world. At other times, his art has offered common ground for his parents – Madonna and Guy Ritchie – not least when they reunited in 2025, 17 years after their separation, at the opening of his exhibition, Talk Is Cheap. “It was quite monumental.” 

As you’d expect, his work feels psychologically charged, exploring themes of fame, privacy and alienation through hefty oils on gestural, wry figures that offer a glimpse into his 20th-century expressionist influences, spanning Frank Auerbach to Pablo Picasso. His sculptural training in Tuscany’s Carrara – widely known as the home of marble sculpture – formed his understanding of working with stone and wood, which, much like his paintings, centre around portraiture and the human form. 

Before his latest showing, Ritchie set out to travel the world to find the optimal conditions – and very crucially the perfect studio – to outdo his previous efforts. After voyaging through Mexico City, travelling north towards California and eventually to Lisbon, it slowly became evident that where he was in the world or what studio he was in didn’t actually matter. It was all, simply, as the title acknowledges, about getting Back on the Brush.

Jotaro Joden: How are you feeling in the lead-up to your next exhibition?

Rocco Ritchie: I’m good. This is one of the first shows where I’ve actually made the work in time, like I’m not delivering paintings that are still wet on the day of the exhibition. I’ve timed it a little better for once, so that definitely makes me feel more chilled out.

JJ: What can you tell me about Back on the Brush? What’s the narrative this time around? 

RR: My last show was called Talk Is Cheap, and it's been basically a year since then. After that exhibition, I travelled around a bit, tried living in different places and worked in different studios to find inspiration. I wanted to explore my work, but also myself. I’m still only 26, so I’m trying to make the most of my age.

The reason I called it Back on the Brush is that I didn’t paint for a good four or five months after the last show because I couldn’t find the right studio or the right place. I started in Mexico City, but I wasn’t really vibing with it. Then I went to California for a bit, which didn’t work out either. 

Somehow, I ended up in Portugal, in Lisbon, where I found a good space. My sculpting instructor has a studio there, too, so I found a nice way to balance painting and sculpture. Ultimately, I realised that the main thing I should be doing is working and painting. After six months of travelling, I thought, ‘All right, let's get back to work.’ That's kind of what the title means. I didn’t want to overcomplicate the narrative.

JJ: Why do you think you didn’t settle in the places you travelled to?

RR: I always had a vision of the studio I wanted and the life I wanted to live. I kept moving from one place to the next, but I don’t actually think the places themselves were the problem. I think I wasn’t satisfied. Maybe I realised that I was the problem, not the place. By the time I got to Portugal, I thought, ‘All right, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I just need to settle somewhere for a bit’ and, as I said, ‘lock in.’ In Lisbon specifically, I had a great studio, and it obviously makes a huge difference. It makes you want to stay somewhere.

JJ: Your last two exhibitions, The Tourist and Talk Is Cheap, felt as though they had a narrative thread connecting them. Do you see this show as something of its own, or as a continuation of the previous two?

RR: I think there will always be a continuation from the show before. Especially because it’s only been a year since the last one. I feel like exhibitions mark what you’ve done over the past year, or however long it’s been. For me, it’s always nice to see the growth, even from a technical standpoint. I look at my work now and compare it with what I was doing a year ago, and I think, ‘What was I doing?’

So, yes, there’s a connection between this show and the last one, and I’m exploring some similar narratives. I’d say there are more self-portraits in this exhibition because I was exploring my own journey through travelling.

JJ: Now that you’re 26, with a developed frontal lobe, do you feel as though you've gained a new perspective?

RR: A little bit. It’s always hard to speak about yourself, but I do think so. I find that every year feels like ten years, especially in your twenties, but at the same time, it feels super short. It’s a weird period between being young and being old. You feel as though you’re stuck somewhere between the two. I’m really lucky to have the job I have and to love what I do. The older I get, the more I’m enjoying my work. I’m probably loving it more now than I ever have because it’s opening up new doors and leading to more exciting things. 

JJ: What would you say were the highs and lows of the past six months while working on this exhibition?

RR: Being a painter, or an artist in general, is a relatively lonely discipline. Ultimately, you always come back to your studio, and you’re alone. I think part of the reason I left London and travelled was to explore myself and my work, not just when I’m alone in my studio at home, but when I’m on the other side of the world and alone in my studio there, too.

I wouldn’t necessarily call that a low. It's one of the challenges, but it can also be a high because, in the end, it all comes down to how hard I work. I’m my own boss in that sense, which is the best job in the world. 

JJ: What made you choose furniture and interior design house Pierre Augustin Rose for the exhibition?

RR: I met Nina Rose, one of the three people who run the space, a few years ago in Japan. She goes there quite often for work, and they also have a beautiful space in Paris. I was looking for somewhere to show the work I’d been making, so I went to see her gallery. She and her team kept saying, ‘Maybe one day we should do it.’ I said, ‘Listen, I’m happy to do it in the next six months if you guys are up for it.’ They agreed, so it was a pretty short process.

They have great taste and make great things. The gallery is a great mix of old French architecture and contemporary elements, so I felt my work wouldn’t look out of place there. That’s quite a hard thing to find, especially when it’s not just a white-walled gallery. You don’t want the work to get lost in the noise of the room.

JJ: When you're painting or making sculptures, do you think about how the work will look in a room, or how it relates to interiors and furniture?

RR: I think about how it will look in a room, full stop. You have to ask yourself, ‘Do you really want to live with this painting?’ People might argue that you couldn’t live with a Francis Bacon painting. To be honest, his paintings are pretty intense, but how could you not live with one? It’s subjective. Personally, I like interior design, and it does play a role in my own home. Even when you’re painting, whatever the subject, you’re thinking about the frame you use. With sculpture, you’re thinking about the stone you’re carving. In the back of your mind, you’re considering where the work could go and how it could be placed. It’s not an afterthought.

JJ: What relationship do you see between painting and interiors? 

RR: It’s about curating a space. My parents have very different tastes, but they’re both really into curating their homes. Growing up around that naturally rubbed off on me. It’s always been something I’ve been exposed to. I said earlier that if the studio isn’t right, the work won’t be right either. It just won’t click. I’m a little OCD about my studio. If I haven’t cleaned it or got everything in order, I can’t start painting. It’s a mood thing.

JJ: Some artists are incredibly messy.

RR: Don’t get me wrong, I can be pretty messy, too. But when I leave the studio and come back the next morning, it’s nice to start fresh. You learn to live with the mess. I think that’s changed a lot since I started sculpting. With painting, you can be messy, but when you’re sculpting and using tools, chainsaws or heavy machinery, you really have to keep your workspace organised.

JJ: For safety reasons?

RR: Exactly.

Jacket, vest, pants STUDIO PETER JOHN

JJ: Your last exhibition brought your parents together. What was that moment like for you?

RR: That was a big moment. I had them in the same space at the exhibition, and then there was a big dinner afterwards where they were both there. They were really cool with each other, and it was a great vibe. It wasn’t awkward or anything.

Of all the things I could have asked for that night, alongside having a great show, a great turnout and a good atmosphere, seeing my parents together in that moment was a big deal. Even my friends and people who know my family were saying, ‘Damn, okay, this is a special moment.’ I was pretty happy about that. 

JJ: I’ve read that you’re a big collector of things.

RR: I wouldn't say I'm a massive collector, but for where I am in life, I do like collecting things. I love antiques.

JJ: What kind of antiques?

RR: It started with vintage lighters. That’s a pretty niche thing to collect, but it's cool. The problem is that you buy them thinking they’ll work like any other lighter, but they either leak or stop working. For the short amount of time you can get them to work, though, they’re great.

JJ: What’s the object you have the biggest collection of?

RR: Probably ashtrays or lighters.

JJ: What do you smoke?

RR: Cigarettes.

JJ: What's your favourite cigarette? 

RR: My favourite is Marlboro Gold Touch, but they have to be Italian.

JJ: What’s the difference?

RR: It’s very niche, but I think tobacco tastes completely different depending on the country. For some reason, the Italians know how to smoke. I’m biased, but they just taste really smooth.

JJ: You have a tailoring background, too. You worked on Savile Row for a bit, right?

RR: I did an internship there, which was kind of my first proper job, if you can call it that. I was also studying at Central Saint Martins at the time, doing a foundation course in fine art rather than fashion. It was strange, having these two different worlds overlap: working on Savile Row while studying fine art at a fashion school.

JJ: Do you find yourself incorporating fashion into your art?

RR: Yeah. Most of my work is very figurative, and I use live models in my paintings, so fashion is definitely an element of it. I also think the way I dress makes me feel a certain way. Working on the Row obviously teaches you about traditional dress, if you want to call it that. Once I had that knowledge, I went a bit crazy with it. Bringing that into the studio is a cool thing.

JJ: What does your daily uniform look like?

RR: Either jeans and a long shirt, or tracksuit bottoms and a long shirt. I have about three different outfits. The point is that they’re worn out, or at least covered in paint. That’s what they’re there for.

JJ: Clothes covered in paint are on trend right now.

RR: I try not to leave the studio looking like that, though. It’s a bit like, “All right, bro, we get it.”

JJ: What jeans do you wear? 

RR: Levi’s are pretty good. I have a few Japanese pairs, too, like The Real McCoy's. The problem with expensive denim is that it takes about four years to break in. It’s a commitment, and if you want the fit to be right, you have to wash them a certain way. Sometimes it’s nice just to buy a vintage pair of jeans where someone else has already done the hard work.

JJ: Are there any other brands you’re into, particularly for more formal or relaxed clothes?

RR: I love the classics. I love Saint Laurent. I also had a big Giorgio Armani moment. My obsession was with the peak 1980s stuff, that American Gigolo kind of vibe.

JJ: What’s your opinion on the intersection of fashion and art at the moment? A lot of fashion houses are bringing in painters for graphics, campaigns and all sorts of projects.

RR: I think it’s great. I don’t really feel one way or another about it, though. I’ve always felt that people in the art world want to be in the fashion world, while people in fashion want to be in the art world. It’s the same, same, but different. For example, I was at Paris Fashion Week a few weeks ago, and now I’m doing my exhibition during Art Basel. It’s the same crowd, but completely different.

JJ: How was Fashion Week for you? Did you go to any shows?

RR: I just went to YSL.

JJ: That must have been crazy. It was Anthony Vaccarello’s last show. You picked a good one.

RR: I did.

JJ: Lastly, what’s next for you after the exhibition? Are you going on holiday, or are you going to find another studio on the other side of the world?

RR: I actually have a job. I’m flying to Japan for two months to work on a commission for a collector. It’s a kind of mural, so I’ll be there painting for two months, which is pretty cool. I’m really excited. I’m glad I got that sorted because after a show, you’re left wondering what to do next. I’ve got something lined up, and I’m trying to get better at planning so I can keep the ball rolling.