A Celebration of Modern and Contemporary Art
Every autumn, London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery opens its doors to one of the most anticipated events in the art world calendar: the British Art Fair. Since its founding in 1988, the fair has become the flagship destination for Modern and Contemporary British art, attracting collectors, curators, and enthusiasts from across the globe. With over 12,000 visitors each year, it celebrates Britain’s rich artistic heritage while spotlighting its most daring contemporary voices.
Running from 25th until 28th September 2025, this year’s edition promises an expansive programme spanning 20th-century masters, digital pioneers, and newly rediscovered treasures. More than 80 specialist dealers are presenting works by celebrated British artists such as David Hockney, Bridget Riley, Henry Moore, Tracey Emin, and Banksy, alongside fresh discoveries that affirm the fair’s reputation as both a cultural cornerstone and a collector’s treasure trove. Here are six Culturalee Picks from the 2025 edition of British Art Fair.
SOLO Contemporary
Curated by artist and gallerist Zavier Ellis, SOLO Contemporary returns for its fourth edition, reaffirming the fair’s founding principle to champion living British artists. The platform provides space for cutting-edge galleries and dealers to showcase a single artist in depth, offering a concentrated look at new creative directions in Britain today. This year’s highlights include Ru Knox’s kinetic abstractions inspired by dance at Guerin Projects, Barry Yusufu’s haunting portraits curated by Virginia Damtsa with 99 Loop Gallery, and Melissa Kime’s folkloric, autumnal paintings at Charlie Smith London. Nigerian painter Ayogu Kingsley presents myth-infused works at The African Art Hub, while Gill Button’s atmospheric portraits take centre stage with James Freeman Gallery. Together, these displays paint a vivid picture of contemporary British practice, from bold gestural abstraction to psychological figuration.
Digitalism: Art in the Virtual Age
After a successful 2024 debut, Digitalism returns with an expanded programme curated by interdisciplinary artist and academic Rebecca Tolley-Georgiou. Conceived as both a movement and a showcase, Digitalism explores the shifting boundaries of art in an increasingly virtual world. The section brings together more than 60 UK-based artists across 27 stands, presenting works that span AI-generated imagery, VR installations, AR interventions, robotic sculpture, moving-image art, and digital painting. Notable participants include Marco Conti Sikic (MCSK), KWEL, MA Gallery/ VitaliV, Cem Hasimi, and Studio Siddhartha Kunti. Immersive, experimental, and future-facing, Digitalism offers audiences a glimpse of how technology is reshaping the language of art and expanding the ways we experience creativity.
The Scottish Gallery
For a masterclass in post-war modernism north of the border, The Scottish Gallery presents Modern Masters XIX. This focused display highlights the brilliance of Scottish artists whose works bridged national traditions with international modernist currents. Visitors can expect to see expressive paintings by Joan Eardley, lyrical canvases by James Cumming, and a rare tapestry by Sax Shaw, an artist celebrated for bringing modernist experimentation to textiles. By spanning painting, weaving, and design, the exhibition reflects the dynamism of Scotland’s mid-20th-century art scene and its enduring influence on today’s makers.
Art Movement
Colour and emotion take centre stage at Art Movement, where Sophie Crockett’s canvases, including Harvest Moon over les Jasses, transport viewers into lush, dreamlike landscapes. Her work evokes the warmth of Gauguin’s tropics and the poetic symbolism of Chagall’s horses and lovers, offering a vibrant fusion of memory and imagination. Alongside Crockett, the gallery presents Geoff Catlow’s richly textured works, Claire Chandler’s lyrical paintings, Henry McAlpine’s contemporary abstractions, and Alvaro Petritoli’s bold compositions. Collectively, the presentation underscores Art Movement’s commitment to showcasing painters whose work radiates both energy and intimacy.
Hospital Rooms
Community engagement takes the spotlight through the fair’s charity partner, Hospital Rooms, an organisation dedicated to transforming mental health hospitals with world-class art. For 2025, the charity unveils a new site-specific installation on the Saatchi Gallery’s second floor, inviting visitors to rest on artist-designed furnishings while learning more about its projects. The initiative is complemented by Time Flies, a limited-edition print series featuring Sutapa Biswas’s colourful bird studies, with proceeds supporting Hospital Rooms’ programmes. This partnership highlights the fair’s belief that art is not only a source of aesthetic pleasure but also a catalyst for healing, care, and social change.
Pangolin London
Finally, Pangolin London offers a rare discovery that will delight connoisseurs of British post-war art. Long associated with sculpture, Geoffrey Clarke (1924–2014) is revealed here in a different light, through a series of semi-abstract three-dimensional paintings produced privately during his later years in Spain. Among them is Extension (Observer) (c.1989), a striking work that expands Clarke’s sculptural sensibility into richly layered, experimental surfaces. Unseen for decades—even by experts—these paintings remind us that even within well-established oeuvres, surprises await. By bringing them to public view, Pangolin London underscores its role as both custodian and champion of Clarke’s artistic legacy.
British Art Fair 2025 runs from 25–28 September at the Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY.
For more information visit: www.britishartfair.co.uk/exhibitors.
