‘I had always been somewhat embarrassed about the state of my family … I think I've been taking pictures of my close family not just as reference for paintings but also as an attempt to comprehend myself and them more fully.’ - Richard Billingham, May 1996.

A tender image from Richard Billingham’s Ray’s a Laugh series, the renowned artist’s body of evocative photographs documents the relationship and interactions of his close family members at home in their Black Country flat. Offering an honest and powerful portrayal of complex familial dynamics, Billingham focuses predominantly on the relationship between his mother and father. Scrupulous and sincere in the presentation of his homelife, works by Billingham were included in Charles Saatchi’s pivotal 1997 exhibition Sensation, which featured key works by YBA artists and changed the scope of the international contemporary art scene.