At a time when works of art are beginning to be produced and envisaged using AI, the New English Art Club’s Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, London reaffirms the crucial role of the artists’ eye in translating and inspiring us about the world around us. The renowned show which opens on Thursday 13th June showcases some of the UK’s best, new figurative art in an invigoratingly broad range of styles and with a diverse subject matter. The over 400 works by celebrated NEAC member artists, alongside a selection from an open submission, include charming still lives, enticing views, naïve illustrations and arresting contemporary approaches, all united in their ability to convey the unique and powerful visual curiosity of the artist that created them. The exhibition serves as a homage to the art of observation, inspiring wonder in views even of the most ordinary.
Most of the work on show is available for sale (and is surprisingly affordable – artworks start at £300) and those looking to buy artwork for their homes can be assured of its quality and value thanks to a rigorous selection process by artists themselves. Work can be purchased both online at https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/exhibitions-events/new-english-art-club-annual-exhibition-2024 from Wednesday 22nd May and in person at the exhibition. If you are lucky, you may be able to purchase this year’s exhibition works of note. There are 12 awards worth £8,250 which will be presented at this year’s exhibition.
As part of this year’s Annual Exhibition, the NEAC is running a number of exclusive, FREE events including guided exhibition tours by celebrated member artists, sketching in the gallery (including the chance to draw a ballet dancer) and NEAC artist demonstrations.
Interpretation
Patrick Cullen, the NEAC’s new President said; “At its core, the NEAC celebrates the act of looking and drawing from life. In a world increasingly dominated by digital art and conceptual pieces, our exhibition reaffirms the timeless value of observation and interpretation in the artistic process. This is combined with an approach which promotes innovation. The NEAC was born in reaction to the stuffiness of the Royal Academy and, in the same way, the work we show isn’t enslaved to restrictive principles when it comes to what and how artists interpret their view of the world. It is this freedom which gives our Annual Exhibition its energy and breadth. We want to see skilful language used by artists in how they describe their unique view of the world, combined with the authenticity of their individual perspective – and it is this that gives them their individual voice.”
Annual Exhibition Events Programme
This year, the NEAC and Mall Galleries are running a selection of exclusive, FREE in-gallery events to help bring this year’s Annual Exhibition to life. A list of the events running is as follows, for more information, please visit: NEAC | Events Programme | Mall Galleries.
Exhibition Tours with Louise Balaam – Friday 14 June, 2pm and 3:30pm
Louise Balaam NEAC RWA will give guided tours of the exhibition throughout the afternoon.
Louise Balaam is an abstract landscape artist who lives and works in Kent.
Free with gallery admission.
Exhibition Tours and Sketching with Michael Weller – Saturday 15 June, 11am and 2pm
Michael Weller NEAC will be in the gallery all day where he will be giving exhibition tours and sketching.
Michael will do two tours of the exhibition, at 11am and 2pm. The remainder of the day Michael will be sitting in the cafe, drawing. Bring your sketchbook, BIC pens, and coloured pencils, and join in if you fancy it. Not a teaching moment, just chatting and sketching. It’ll be fun.
Free with gallery admission.
Painting of a Dancer | Demo with Julia Hawkins – Sunday 16 June, 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Join Julia Hawkins ROI NEAC in the gallery as she sketches a ballet dancer using pastels and then oils. Visitors will be encouraged to draw too, so don’t forget to bring your pencils and sketchbooks.
Julia Hawkins is a figurative artist based in Surrey, her modern impressionist style is well recognised and works are sought after by collectors both in the UK and internationally.
Free with gallery admission.
Exhibition Tours with Julie Held – Monday 17 June, 1pm and 3pm
Julie Held NEAC LG RWS will give guided tours of the exhibition throughout the afternoon.
Colour is central to Julie Held’s practice, expressing the poignancy of her lifelong preoccupation with the powerful yet fragile cycle of life.
Free with gallery admission.
Portrait Painting Demo with Daniel Shadbolt
Tuesday 18 June, 1:30pm to 4:30pm
Watch Daniel Shadbolt NEAC paint a portrait in the gallery.
Daniel is a painter of the human figure and still lives.
Free with gallery admission.
NEAC Annual Lecture: Gwen John by Alicia Foster – Tuesday 18 June, 6pm to 8pm
This year’s lecture will be given by Alicia Foster on the subject of Gwen John who exhibited with the NEAC between 1900 and 1911.
Dr Alicia Foster is an art historian, curator and novelist. Her book ‘Gwen John: Art and Life in London and Paris’ is available now.
6pm: Doors
6:30pm: Lecture start
Free with gallery admission but you need to reserve a space, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk
Preview
The NEAC Annual Exhibition will run from Thursday 13th June 2024 until Monday 22nd July 2024 at Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, SW1.
The exhibition will also be previewed online at:
https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/exhibitions-events/new-english-art-club-annual-exhibition-2024 from Wednesday 22nd May 2024 where work can be also bought.
Founded in the 19th Century, the NEAC (New English Art Club) traces its history through artists as diverse as Stanley Spencer, Walter Sickert, J.S. Sargent and Winifred Nicholson. More recent exhibitors include Royal Academicians such as Ken Howard, Anthony Green, Fred Cuming and Diana Armfield.
Mall Galleries in London is the UK’s leader in contemporary, figurative art and a visual arts charity empowering artists through a not-for-profit programme of exhibitions and events, prizes and awards, founded in 1961. Managed by the Federation of British Artists, the gallery is run by leading and acclaimed figurative artists who curate the gallery’s collection, organised into annual shows for its famous member societies. It is a powerful resource for experiencing and sourcing figurative art which is both available to buy and endorsed by leading artists.
See also: Didier Chamizo, “Rebel Soul” at D’Stassi Art
