London Art Fair returns to the capital from 21st-25th January 2026, bringing together a curated selection of leading Modern and Contemporary galleries from the UK and around the world. Now in its 38th year, the Fair remains a trusted destination for collectors and art enthusiasts to discover new work, connect and invest at the start of the international art calendar.
This year’s Museum Partner is the National Trust, which will present surrealist and post-war abstract artworks from the collections of two modernist London homes: 2 Willow Road, the residence of Ern? Goldfinger, and The Homewood, home of architect Patrick Gwynne, offering a unique curatorial perspective on modernist experimentation and design.
Curated by art historian Dr Ferren Gipson, the 2026 edition of Platform, titled The Unexpected,
explores artists pushing the boundaries of materiality and process to challenge conventional ideas of art-making. Meanwhile, Encounters brings together a roster of emerging and international galleries – with exhibitors from Mexico, Turkey, Japan, and France – introducing fresh perspectives and new voices to the London market.
Through its curated sections, special collaborations, and thought-provoking talks programme, London Art Fair 2026 reaffirms its role as a cornerstone of the UK art market – a place to discover notable pieces, deepen existing connections, and kick off the collecting season with purpose.
CURATED SECTIONS
London Art Fair showcases contemporary practice and collecting trends within the art world through its critically-acclaimed sections curated in collaboration with leading experts and institutions.
Museum Partner
For 2026, London Art Fair will host the National Trust as its museum partner, who will present highlights from the collections of two modernist masterpieces: The Homewood and 2 Willow Road. This marks the first time the National Trust has presented an exhibition of its modernist artworks on this scale, offering a rare opportunity to see many works that have never before left their historic homes. The display includes paintings and sculptures by masters such as Max Ernst, Rita Kernn-Larsen, Avinash Chandra, Prunella Clough, and Henry Moore, alongside the original furniture and interiors that give these homes their distinctive character.
Designed in the 1930s by pioneering architect Ernó Goldfinger for his family, 2 Willow Road in Hampstead is a celebrated modernist home opened to the public by the National Trust in 1996. The display will feature highlights from the Goldfingers’ 20th-century art collection, including a rare stringed sculpture by Henry Moore, Surrealist paintings by Max Ernst and Rita Kernn-Larsen; and a collage by Sir Roland Penrose featuring Lee Miller.
The Homewood in Esher, a post-war unconventional and luxurious modernist masterpiece designed by Patrick Gwynne, was built on stilts and meticulously designed as his family home until 2003. Highlights from its collection, including drawings by French artist and sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, will also be on display at the Fair.
John Chu, Senior Curator of Pictures and Sculpture at the National Trust, said,
“Both 2 Willow Road and The Homewood are exceptional examples of British modernist homes preserved with their original art collections. At 2 Willow Road, Ern? and Ursula Goldfinger’s passion for art was inseparable from their architecture: deeply embedded in artistic circles, the couple supported exhibitions and were patrons of modernist artists. The Homewood, a mid-century modernist dream designed by Patrick Gwynne, carries the spirit of 1930s modernism into the post-war era with its elegant design and curated artworks. We’re thrilled to bring these remarkable collections together for new audiences to enjoy at London Art Fair.”
Platform
This year’s Platform section, titled The Unexpected and is curated by art historian and artist Dr Ferren Gipson, brings together galleries and artists redefining the boundaries between craft, applied art, and fine art. Building on Gipson’s acclaimed book Women’s Work, the exhibition explores how materials, process, and form can shift how we create and experience art. From textiles and ceramics to other unconventional media, the section explores the creative possibilities and surprises that emerge when artists experiment and innovate.
Among the highlights, Cavaliero Finn will present works by Isabel Fletcher, Alice Foxen and Richard McVetis, artists who each explore materiality in distinct ways. Fletcher’s Satin Overlap repurposes offcuts from ballet shoes, which would normally be discarded, to create a delicate, layered work raising questions about sustainability, labour and transformation. Quad Fine Art will show works by Peter Jackson, known for his inventive use of surface and texture. Jackson blends sand, gravel and burlap into paint, creating tactile, abstract compositions that appear minimalist at first but reveal complex layers on closer inspection. Gillian Jason Gallery, which champions female-identifying artists, will bring work by Emily Ponsonby, who uses an ancient technique through beeswax and oil to build rich, textured layers
that reveal their subjects over time. Thrown Contemporary will present expressive ceramics in terracotta, stoneware, porcelain and mixed media, from artists including Bisila Noha, Renata Cassiano Alvarez, Zuleika Melluish and Michael Rice.
Dr Ferren Gipson said,
“I’m very interested in how an artist’s choice of materials shapes the way we interpret their work. I love seeing artists push the limits of what a medium can do – through unconventional processes, unusual combinations, or by drawing out qualities we didn’t expect. The Unexpected is about celebrating that spirit of curiosity and innovation, and I hope visitors will experience moments of surprise and delight as they encounter these works.”
Encounters
The Fair will also see the return of the Encounters section, established in 2005 to support emerging and international galleries. This year’s edition brings together a diverse selection of galleries from around the world, with participation subsidised by London Art Fair to champion new talent and provide a platform for engaging with collectors at the heart of London’s art scene.
In this section, Gallery Kitai, based in Japan and specialising in contemporary art using Eastern ink, will present new work by artist Fumie Onuki created especially for the Fair. Istanbul-based Gallery KAIROS‘ presentation will explore themes of memory, fragility, and queer temporality, through artists like Murat Balci, who approaches issues of power, body, and representation through a queer political lens.
Returning to Encounters, another gallery hailing from Istanbul Galeri/Miz will be presenting works from Belmin Pilevneli, Dogukan Cigdem, Metin Kalkizoglu, and Tuba Onder Demircioglu. Mexico City-based gallery Avant Dev, a first time exhibitor at the Fair, will present a dynamic display of traditional and digital materials, including emerging artist Murakiit, who combines the aesthetics of pixel art with traditional
painting and textile.
Dr Pryle Behrman, curator of Encounters, said,
“This year’s Encounters sees many artists exploring and reimagining the sociological notion of ‘radical care’. This might involve highlighting water as a symbol of nurturing that spans both Daoist theology and contemporary feminism, as evident in BAISHUI’s installation by RONG Art Space from Shanghai. While caring for people remains of utmost importance for the artists of Encounters, the scope of ‘radical care’ is expanded to incorporate artistic legacies, diverse and sometimes fragile materials, and the world in its entirety beyond humankind.”
Installation
Returning for a second year as London Art Fair’s official destination partner, Visit Tampa Bay will present a specially commissioned installation by UK artist Rose Electra Harris. Selected through an open call, Harris travelled to Tampa Bay this November for an inspiration trip to inform the creation of her work at the Fair in January.
Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, said,
“Visit Tampa Bay is proud to partner once again with the London Art Fair and highlight our rich arts and cultural scene. Following on from last year’s success, in 2026 we are focusing on how Tampa Bay inspires travellers and ignites imagination whether that is our sparkling waterfront, deep Cultural heritage, wide range of attractions or our award-winning culinary scene.
As such we are extremely pleased to be working with Rose Electra Harris and look forward to welcoming her to Tampa Bay. Throughout time artists have been stimulated through travel and we are excited to see Rose’s Tampa Bay inspired artwork at the London Art Fair.”
Rose Electra Harris said,
“I’m so thrilled to be selected for this year’s prize and to visit Tampa Bay for the first time. Travelling to a new place is always such a source of inspiration for me. I’m drawn to the unfamiliar, whether it’s the history, the architecture, or the landscape, and it’s always exciting to see how those impressions find their way into my own practice.”
2026 GALLERIES
Premier Contemporary Presentations
This year’s London Art Fair will host an exciting range of British Contemporary art galleries, offering the opportunity to acquire works by household names including Tracey Emin, Vanessa Jackson RA, Oisin Byrne and Alexander Massouras. Galleries such as Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, Blond Contemporary, Cavaliero Finn, Cole-Levi Klimt, Julian Page will showcase a diverse range of emerging, mid-career, and
established artists, offering works to enjoy and collect. VIGO Gallery will present a selection of thickly impastoed paintings by Jordy Kerwick, Osborne Samuel will showcase new work by Brendan Burns, coinciding with The Space Between, a new book tracing the evolution of his career to date, and Alveston Fine Arts will present work from Julia Hall’s project REFUGE, inspired by the experiences of women who have had to leave their homeland and build a new life in the UK.
Several galleries will be making their London Art Fair debut, including London-based Ukrainian artists’ collective IDENTITY, MILADO Art Gallery, NewingerART, and Zarastro Art, as well as visiting international galleries like isculpture (Milan) and Chi Art Gallery (Istanbul) all of whom will be showcasing a curated selection of work, available to London’s collectors for the first time. Contemporary photography will be represented through returning galleries including ARTITLEDcontemporary, Galerie Olivier Waltman, and Crane Kalman Brighton.
20th Century Masters
Continuing London Art Fair’s tradition of displaying exemplary works of Modern art, the galleries at the main Fair will present work by household names from 20th Century art history such as Francis Bacon, Barbara Hepworth, William Kentridge, Louise Bourgeois and Frank Auerbach. The Fair will see the return of its longstanding exhibiting galleries bringing Modern British art including Christopher Kingzett Fine Art, Austin Desmond Fine Art, and Redfern Gallery. Among this year’s highlights is a display by Advanced Graphics, celebrating the centenary of influential Scottish painter Craigie Aitchison’s birth, and a signature work by highly distinguished sculptor Lynn Chadwick presented by leading sculpture gallery Pangolin London as well as a powerful fresh to market painting from the 1950s by Bryan Kneale the highly regarded Royal Academician.
England & Co. will focus on the history of British surrealism, 90 years after the first International Surrealist Exhibition in June 1936, featuring works by Ithell Colquhoun, Sir Roland Penrose, Marion Adnams and John Banting. Gerrish Fine Art will bring original prints by David Hockney, including a number of the artist’s extremely rare 1960s work, whilst Jenna Burlingham Fine Art will show Modern British works from artists such as Keith Vaughan, John Nash and William Brooker. Tanya Baxter Contemporary will present work by British masters and leading artists including Anthony Eyton, Sean Scully, Annie Morris and Pip Todd-Warmoth. James Hyman Gallery will be presenting outstanding photographic editions from world-renowned photographers Cecil Beaton, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier.
LONDON ART FAIR, 21st-25th January 2026 londonartfair.co.uk
