British Art Fair
Modern and Contemporary British Art
25 - 28 September
Saatchi Gallery, London SW3 4RY
SOLO Contemporary: Artists and Galleries Announced
Barry Yusufu, painting from the series ‘Where We Left Love’ created specifically for British Art Fair, Courtesy 99 Loop Gallery & Virginia Damtsa.
British Art Fair’s contemporary platform, curated by artist and gallerist Zavier Ellis, returns for its fourth year. SOLO Contemporary is a project for cutting-edge galleries and dealers to exhibit a series of works by one star of the contemporary art world. It is a continuation of British Art Fair's founding principle to champion British art and artists. SOLO Contemporary underscores the strength, breadth, and critical significance of contemporary art practice in Britain today.
“SOLO Contemporary 2025 promises to be its strongest edition yet. Showcasing the quality and diversity inherent in the British art scene, and positioned alongside Digitalism, this standout contemporary section on the 2nd floor of the British Art Fair should be on everyone’s to-do list for September.” Zavier Elllis
The line up for SOLO Contemporary 2025:
GL Brierley
Louise Brierley paints in oil on board Old Master-style with a contemporary twist. Her work is influenced by Hogarth, Max Ernst and Bacon. “She has a unique style,” says Mark Hinchliffe, curator of A Modest Show. “You don’t forget her work when you’ve seen it.” Paintings by Brierley are held in Damien Hirst’s Murderme Collection, The Olbricht and Reydan Weiss Collections in Germany, and they have been bought by the CEO of Sotheby’s International. She has shown throughout Europe.
GL Brierley, Untitled, 2025 Oil on wood, 40 x 50cm
Ayogu Kingsley
Born in 1994 in Enugu, Nigeria, Ayogu Kingsley is an influential contemporary artist who currently resides and works in Lagos, Nigeria. His work is deeply rooted in the ethos of Black Consciousness, with a strong focus on redefining Blackness beyond mere identity. Kingsley views Blackness as a form of mentality, self-regulation, and authority, aiming to challenge and transform the historical narratives that have marginalised Black thought and voices.
Kingsley has gained significant traction within the contemporary art sphere for his hyper-realistic portraits, primarily in oil paint. He has become a notable figure within the Nigerian art scene and has featured in various group exhibitions across Europe, the UK, and Africa. Kingsley has exhibited alongside artists like Zanele Muholi and was a finalist for the ART X Lagos Prize in 2022.
Kingsley Ayogu, Deep roots are not reached by the forest, 2025, oil on canvas, 125 cm x 115 cm
Gill Button
Born in 1994 in Enugu, Nigeria, Ayogu Kingsley is an influential contemporary artist who currently resides and works in Lagos, Nigeria. His work is deeply rooted in the ethos of Black Consciousness, with a strong focus on redefining Blackness beyond mere identity. Kingsley views Blackness as a form of mentality, self-regulation, and authority, aiming to challenge and transform the historical narratives that have marginalised Black thought and voices.
Kingsley has gained significant traction within the contemporary art sphere for his hyper-realistic portraits, primarily in oil paint. He has become a notable figure within the Nigerian art scene and has featured in various group exhibitions across Europe, the UK, and Africa. Kingsley has exhibited alongside artists like Zanele Muholi and was a finalist for the ART X Lagos Prize in 2022.
Gill Button, Chione, oil on linen, 2025, 45 x 35cm
Dan Coombs
Dan Coombs (b.1971, London) is a painter and collagist whose primary pre-occupation is the human psyche. He studied at The Ruskin School, Oxford (1989-92) and at the Royal College of Art, London (1992-94). He was Rome Scholar in painting at The British School in Rome (1994-5), taught painting at Haute école d'art et de design, Geneva, and was a founding tutor at Turps Banana.
A selection of his solo exhibitions includes: Figure of Eight, Freddie Foulkes Gallery, 2025, Unfolding Man, Aleph Contemporary, London 2020; Nudes, New Art Projects, London, 2014; The Garden, Mihai Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, 2005, and at The Approach Gallery, London, 2005, 2001, 1999, and 1997.
His group exhibitions include: Semblant, Freddie Foulkes Gallery, 2025; John Moores Painting Prize, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 2024; Tableaux, Terrace Gallery, London, 2023; Cuts, The Matthiesen Gallery, London, 2020; Something Old, Something New, Fred Gallery, London, 2013; Collage, The Bloomberg Space, London, 2004; Following and to be Followed, Le Consortium, Dijon, 2004; Young British Artists Part VI, Saatchi Gallery, London, 1996.
Dan Coombs, Untitled, 2025
Edward Durdey
Edward Durdey MA, RCA (b.1954) is a fine artist and a specialist in interior decoration who works in painting and relief carving. His plaster carved reliefs echo Indian temple carving and early Greek bas reliefs, and are made in builder’s finishing plaster with gold leaf applied. Durdey’s paintings are glimpses into the artist’s unconscious and bring to mind early icons. He initially studied at Wimbledon School of Art and the Royal College of Art Painting School. Since graduating from the RCA in 1982, Durdey has travelled widely and held nine one-person shows, two in India. From 1992 he has worked in specialist decoration, as part of a team, for the interior designer John Stefanidis on projects in USA, France, Turkey, Greece, Kuwait, and the UK. He has been selected for group shows at the Royal Academy (Summer Exhibition), Royal College of Art, Hayward Gallery, Christies, RWA Bristol and MK Gallery among others.
Edward Durdey, Passage 2025, Carved plaster & gold leaf, 59 x 43 x 5cm
Melissa Kime
CHARLIE SMITH LONDON
Melissa Kime (b.1989) is a London-based painter. CHARLIE SMITH LONDON Director, Zavier Ellis says: “Melissa's expressive work captures the magic and memories of her everyday life, in particular the people and animals she meets. Her artwork is inspired by her love of folk art, culture and craft, and her upbringing in Wiltshire, a place where superstition and folklore lie deep.”
Kime’s work is placed in prominent collections globally, including HRH Princess Lamia Al Saud, Saudi Arabia; Sammlung Sander, Germany; Susan & Michael Hort, United States; and The Royal Collection, United Kingdom.
The artist has an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London 2015; a Postgraduate Diploma in Drawing, Royal Drawing School, London 2012; and a BA (Hons) Fine Art, University College, Falmouth 2011. Her recent solo exhibitions include: My friends Icarus and the wind, CHARLIE SMITH LONDON 2025; This is Where We Live, SOHO Revue, London 2024; Light as a Feather Stiff as a Board, C&C Gallery London 2019. Group exhibitions include: Au Lapin Agile, BayArt Gallery, Cardiff 2024; Beyond the Gaze – Reclaiming the Landscape, Saatchi Gallery London 2024; Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London 2019; Temporary Realities, Karen Huber Gallery, Mexico City 2018.
Melissa Kime, ‘He’s a part of nature you have to remember that', 2024, oil, oil pastel, oil bar, charcoal dust on canvas 160 x 180cm
Ru Knox
Guerin Projects
Guerin Projects’ founder Marie-Claudine Llamas is presenting a new body of work by British painter Ru Knox that focuses on ballet dancers. The works are ephemeral in their subject matter, but grounded in history, referencing both Wassily Kandinsky’s ‘Concerning the Spiritual in Art' and Degas’ Impressionist renditions of young ballerinas.
Ru Knox combines a rigorous formal structure derived from his artistic training. He studied for over ten years under Charles Cecil in Florence before becoming a tutor in academic drawing and oil painting. He went on to complete an MA in Fine Art at City and Guilds London Art School, where his MA exhibition caught the attention of collectors and galleries leading to his first solo show, Rapture, at Waluso Gallery, London 2020. The following years propelled him to prominence in the art world and led to exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam and in the legendary Art in the Age of Now exhibition at Fulham Town Hall 2021. His work has been shown at art fairs including Volta, The Other Art Fair, and London Art Fair.
Ru Knox, Sylphic, Oil on Canvas, 56 x 46cm
Henrietta MacPhee
Ruup & Form
Henrietta MacPhee (b. 1985) is a ceramicist based in South London. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies at Kings College London, 2007. This was followed by an Art Foundation at Camberwell College of Art, London, 2009, and a Diploma in Ceramics from City Lit, London 2017. Her work has been selected for a number of prestigious shows in the UK, including Artworks organised by the Barbican Arts Group at the International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Wales. MacPhee was one of four artists selected for the Emerging Makers Award in 2019.
MacPhee’s solo exhibitions include: Indian Miniatures, Durning Library, London, 2025; Oasis, Barbican Library, London, 2023. Her group shows include: Summer Exhibition, Hampstead Art Society, London, 2025; Assembly House Summer Open, Norwich, 2025; XIII Biennal Internacional de Ceramica Del Vendrell, Spain, 2024; ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London, 2024; Guilford House Open, 2024; Black Swan Arts Open, Frome, 2024; Ferens Open, Hull Museum and Art Gallery 2024; Seeing Red, Chapel Art Studios, Andover, 2024; RBA Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, 2024.
Henrietta MacPhee, ‘Dutch Flowers with Butterfly’, 2024, Glazed Ceramic, 31 x 25 cm and; ‘Dutch Flowers with Snail’, 2024, Glazed Ceramic, 32 x 23cm
David Spiller
David Spiller (1942-2018) was born in Dartford, Kent where he became engrossed in art and popular culture from a young age. His older brothers would play him projections of Mickey Mouse cartoons and he would spend hours drawing the characters, as a way of keeping them close to him. After studying Graphic Design at Sidcup Art School and painting at Beckenham School of Art, in 1962 he went on to the Slade School of Art, where he was taught by Frank Auerbach and William Coldstream and won the Henry Tonks Prize for Drawing. Throughout his long career Spiller enjoyed huge success with regular solo shows through Europe, the UK and America.
Spiller's vibrant and playful works blend iconic imagery and song lyrics, intertwined with freehand drawings and spontaneous messages. Predominantly a painter, during his later years the artist turned to printmaking. Through this medium, he was able to engage with a wider audience, offer more accessibility to collectors, and gift his prints to friends and family. Spiller painted from scratch individual works, bypassing the digital process and making bespoke new works specifically for printmaking.
Air Contemporary describe the artist as “Sometimes happy, sometimes sad – at the core of each one of David's works is the universal message of love. As well as being visually bold and beautiful, his pieces have the ability to strike a chord – helping us replay moments in our own lives and reminding us of what is really important.”
David Spiller, Born To Be Wild, 2024, Silkscreen, signed, numbered and embossed by the Estate, edition of 125, 56 x 57cm
Barry Yusufu
99 Loop Gallery & Virginia Damtsa
99 Loop Gallery (Cape Town), in collaboration with London-based curator and gallerist Virginia Damtsa, is delighted to present ‘Where We Left Love’, a new series of paintings by Nigerian artist Barry Yusufu.
Barry Yusufu, (b. 1996 Nigeria), is widely recognised as one of the most compelling voices in African contemporary portraiture. Known for his icon-esque works, Yusufu’s art is deeply rooted in both spiritual conviction and a desire to elevate the image of African men and women in global art narratives. He is currently studying at the University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martin’s, where he received a scholarship. Although already accomplished, Yusufu made the deliberate decision to pursue academic training to engage more rigorously with the classical traditions of European art, particularly those of the Baroque and Renaissance eras. He believes that “each generation rides on the shoulders of those who came before,” and seeks to merge these historic techniques with his African identity, forging a body of work that speaks across continents and time.
Barry Yusufu, painting from the series ‘Where We Left Love’
Experience SOLO Contemporary as part of your visit to British Art Fair 2025, 25-28 September, Saatchi Gallery, London. britishartfair.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
British Art Fair
Established in 1988, British Art Fair is a flagship for British art, and an important fixture in the art world calendar enjoyed by over 12,000 visitors a year. Saatchi Gallery’s spacious galleries create an elegant atmosphere for visitors to view paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, prints and ceramics, and enjoy an exciting programme of curated events. Specialist dealers are on hand to discuss every aspect of buying art.
The 2025 British Art Fair Team
British Art Fair Co-Founder, Gay Hutson, and Will Ramsay CEO, Ramsay Fairs, are advised by a committee which includes Colin Gleadell as well as dealers: Jamie Anderson, Jenna Burlingham, James Hyman, Peter Osborne, Richard Selby and Zavier Ellis. The fair also has a vetting committee to authenticate the works shown.
British Art Fair 2025 Associate Partner: Riverstone Living
Riverstone creates vibrant later living communities in prime London locations, where culture, wellbeing and connection are at the heart of everyday life.
British Art Fair 2025 Collectors’ Preview Partner: Plowden & Smith
Since 1966, Plowden & Smith has provided specialist conservation, restoration and mount-making services to the world’s most discerning collectors, fine art market professionals and the global museum sector.
Charity Partner: Hospital Rooms
British Art Fair is pleased to be working with the mental health charity Hospital Rooms for its 2025 edition. Hospital Rooms work within hospitals transforming clinical spaces into environments filled with colour, care and inspiration. The charity aims to raise funds at the fair through sales of a limited edition print by Indian-born British artist Sutapa Biswas. The funds will enable new projects and a programme of creative workshops for patients. At the fair, they will be installing a calm immersive interior where visitors can recline on artist-made furnishings, relax and find out more about their projects.
Saatchi Gallery
Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts thousands of school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity, beginning a new chapter in its history.
www.saatchigallery.com Registered Charity Number: 1182328
BRITISH ART FAIR
Modern and Contemporary British Art
25 - 28 September 2025
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY
www.britishartfair.co.uk
office@britishartfair.co.uk
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Press Contact: Jessica Wood, jessica@britishartfair.co.uk Tel: 07939 226988