Probably best known for the film series, Hellraiser and Candyman, Clive Barker has been at the helm of British horror since the 1980s. The Books of Blood, his series of short horror stories, really elevated Barker with Steven King commenting, “I have seen the future of horror and his name is Clive Barker”.
I have always been fascinated by how Clive Barker could conjure such complex, vivid and fantastic places in books like Weaveworld and Imajica. Citing dreams as his biggest inspiration in turn inspired me as a child to push my imagination to its limits.
Books and films aside, Clive Barker is a prolific painter and illustrator. His art is understated and not necessarily skillful but a superb glimpse into his twisted imagination. Unlike his writing, Clive Barker’s artwork holds back on the theme of sexuality but concepts of pleasure, pain and imaginary worlds feature heavily.
Here are some of my favourites. Dark and fantastic, like everything else Clive Barker puts his warped mind to.
