British Art Fair 2025, scheduled for 25–28 September at London’s Saatchi Gallery, will present a dynamic showcase of Modern and Contemporary British Art, reaffirming its status as the country’s only fair dedicated exclusively to art from mid-20th century to today. Over 80 leading UK dealers, including Austin/Desmond Fine Art, Patrick Bourne, The Fine Art Society, and Osborne Samuel, will exhibit works by celebrated names such as Frank Auerbach, Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, L.S. Lowry, Paula Rego, Bridget Riley, William Scott, and Stanley Spencer, among others.
A new limited edition print series titled “Time Flies” by the acclaimed Indian-born, British artist Sutapa Biswas is set to be released at British Art Fair 2025 to support Hospital Rooms, a mental health arts charity. This marks the inaugural partnership between the fair and Hospital Rooms, with the editions presented as part of an immersive installation at Saatchi Gallery from 25–28 September. Deeply personal, “Time Flies” explores themes of memory, loss, and resilience through delicate bird imagery, intertwining Biswas’s reflections on personal and collective histories. Proceeds from the sale will fund creative projects transforming mental health hospital environments, aligning with Hospital Rooms’ mission to bring beauty and care to clinical settings through art.
This year’s programme features ‘Unsung’, a special exhibition curated by art market journalist Colin Gleadell. The show brings overdue attention to Modern British artists whose oeuvres have been undervalued, highlighting contrasts such as Graham Sutherland compared to Francis Bacon, Mary Newcomb to Winifred Nicholson, and Balraj Khanna to M.F. Husain. Gleadell notes the tendency for certain British artists to be overshadowed despite significant contributions to the field.
The fair continues to drive innovation with the return of SOLO CONTEMPORARY, curated by Zavier Ellis, spotlighting cutting-edge galleries and artists, alongside the immersive ‘Digitalism’ section by Rebecca Tolley-Georgiou, which champions pioneering digital art created in the UK.
For 2025, the fair introduces Hospital Rooms as its new charity partner. This initiative transforms clinical spaces in mental health hospitals with artist-led design. Hospital Rooms will set up an immersive interior at the fair—offering a tranquil experience for visitors and showcasing fundraising printed editions in support of creative workshops and hospital projects.
According to British Art Fair’s co-founder Gay Hutson, the line-up demonstrates a commitment to Modern British Art while the contemporary sections “go from strength to strength.” The fair also reports cautious optimism in the British art market, with recent Modern British art sales at Christie’s exceeding estimates and overlooked artists of diverse backgrounds gaining new recognition.
Held in Chelsea’s renowned Saatchi Gallery, British Art Fair welcomes more than 12,000 visitors annually, providing access to paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and ceramics, plus the opportunity to engage with specialist dealers and participate in curated events. This 2025 edition reaffirms the fair’s role as a critical platform for British talent and a hub of artistic innovation.
All images courtesy of British Art Fair
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