British Art Fair Opens 32nd Edition

The 32nd edition of the British Art Fair opens on September 29th presenting its annual showcase of the very best Modern British and Contemporary British Art, elegantly installed throughout the museum-style interiors of Saatchi Gallery, London.

Since 1988 British Art Fair has been the flagship fair for Modern British Art, representing celebrated artists including Bridget Riley, Francis Bacon, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Terry Frost, John Piper and many more, with fine and rare works released to the art market especially for the event.

The fair took a new direction last year under the ownership of Ramsay Fairs, with the introduction of fresh initiatives. The 2022 edition welcomed over 10,000 visitors.

Among the 70+ exhibitors at British Art Fair 2023 are dealers who have been loyal to the fair for decades, bringing exceptional Modern and Contemporary British Art year on year. Exhibitors include: Osborne Samuel, Jonathan Clark, Patrick Bourne, Willoughby Gerrish, Redfern Gallery and Alan Wheatley. The Fine Art Society, Stow Art House, Zuleika Gallery are among the dealers who are new to the fair this year, and those returning include Whitford Fine Art and Robert Upstone

Borders

SPECIAL EXHIBITION | Crossing Borders: Internationalism in Modern British Art

Charlie Phillips – Notting Hill Couple, Photograph 1967, courtesy James Hyman GalleryArtists who came to live and work in Britain from all over the world during the 20th century and contributed significantly to its culture, are the subject of a wide-ranging exhibition, Crossing Borders: Internationalism in Modern British Art, at British Art Fair 2023.

From India and Pakistan will be paintings, works on paper, prints and sculpture by F. N. Souza, Rasheed Araeen, Avinash Chandra and Balraj Khanna; from Taiwan and China – Richard Lin and Li Yuan-chia; from Indonesia – Kim Lim; from Central and Eastern Europe – David Bomberg, Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud, Paul Feiler, Peter Kinley, Karl Weschke, Jankel Adler, Josef Herman, Hans Coper, Fred Uhlman, Caziel, Peter Schmidt, Kurt Hutton, Edith Tudor Hart, Bill Brandt, and Rolf Brandt; from Ukraine – Bernard Meninsky; from Africa, James Barnor; from the Caribbean – Aubrey Williams and Cleveland Brown; from Australia and New Zealand – Sidney Nolan and Frances Hodgkins; and from America – Jacob Epstein, Liliane Lijn, R.B. Kitaj, and Susan Hiller. Works are being supplied by past and present exhibitors of the fair and will be for sale with prices ranging from four to six figures.

The exhibition is being compiled by Colin Gleadell, who is on the fair’s advisory committee, and curated by art historian and author Monica Bohm-Duchen, founding director of the Insiders/Outsiders project.

Following on from the success of its launch last year, Zavier Ellis is curating a selection of the UK’s most exciting young galleries for SOLO CONTEMPORARY. The section, which is twice the size of last year, presents twenty dealers each exhibiting a set of works by one chosen rising star. A Ramsay Fair initiative, SOLO is a continuation of British Art Fair’s founding principle to champion British art and artists. Zavier Ellis says: “SOLO CONTEMPORARY enjoyed a superb debut in 2022.

The critical response and sales were strong. SOLO brought a generation of new collectors to the fair. We have excellent galleries with exciting presentations joining in 2023 – watch this space.”

Art ‘Oscars’

Since 2007 the Critics’ Circle Visual Arts section has been running a prestigious annual awards ceremony, voted by their members, the country’s top art critics, recognising industry professionals’ contribution to British art.

Alex Leith, Chair of the section since 2022, has this year increased the remit of the ceremony, overseeing the addition of two new awards for Best Public Gallery Exhibition and Best Private Gallery Exhibition, organising a partnership with British Art Fair, and holding the ceremony in Saatchi Gallery during the Fair.

“We are planning to build our awards ceremony into – in effect – the Oscars of the British art world”, says Leith. “Our partnership with British Art Fair and our addition of two major new awards are sizable stepping-stones to achieving this ambition. These are exciting times for the industry.”

British Art Fair

28 September – 1 October 2023 Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY www.britishartfair.co.uk Instagram: @britishartfair Facebook: @britishartfair Twitter: @BritishArtFair #BAF23 #BritishArtFair

Opening Hours Collectors’ Preview, Thursday 28th September, 12noon – 9pm Friday 29th September, 11am – 8pm Saturday 30th September, 11am – 6pm Sunday 1st October, 11am – 5pm Last entry is half an hour before the fair is due to close.

Ticketing Pre-booking is advised. Tickets are for sale at https://bit.ly/BAF23Tickets See also: Festival of Art and Fashion at Patina Maldives