25 Years

Taking place in both galleries on Old Burlington Street in Mayfair, its home since 1995, this unique event showcases the diversity of the gallery programme by celebrating its history whilst also looking ahead to the future.  

New and historic works by each of the gallery’s 29 artists are featured in the show. Many of the artists in the exhibition – notably Mamma Andersson, Yinka Shonibare CBE and David Shrigley – have been with the gallery from its infancy, marking a long and fruitful collaboration over the past three decades. Works include a new and highly naturalistic painting by Kehinde Wiley that continues the artist’s investigation into the hierarchies and conventions of classical portraiture; a hand-painted series of unique works made specially for the exhibition by David Shrigley that references the longevity of the gallery’s history with typical, irreverent humour; a new autobiographical painting by Denzil Forrester inspired by his childhood memories of Grenada; a new figurative painting by Deborah Roberts of an African-American adolescent exploring themes of race, identity and gender politics; and a new painting by Lisa Brice that continues the artist’s interrogation of the male gaze.

An illustrated catalogue looking back at the past 25 years accompanies the show, with contributions including texts by Mamma Andersson, Marcia Fortes, Jennifer Higgie, Howard Rachofsky and David Shrigley.

To mark the anniversary, the gallery has also recently announced the representation of three new artists: Marina Adams, Leilah Babirye and Holly Hendry. Each artist adds a new dimension to the programme with their practice: American artist Marina Adams creates paintings and works on paper that feature vibrantly-coloured shapes arranged in abstract configurations; Ugandan artist Leilah Babirye makes sculptures and paintings that address issues surrounding identity, sexuality and human rights; and British artist Holly Hendry creates large site-responsive sculptures and installations concerned with what lives beneath the surface, from hidden underground spaces to the interior workings of the body. 

To coincide with ‘25 Years’, the gallery also presented respective solo exhibitions by Holly Hendry and Denzil Forrester. Initially intended for Frieze London and Frieze Masters, these projects were realised in a specially designed space at 30 Old Burlington Street in October.

List of artists: Marina Adams, Mamma Andersson, Juan Araujo, Tonico Lemos Auad, Leilah Babirye, Jonathan Baldock, Stephan Balkenhol, Claire Barclay, Lisa Brice, Melvin Edwards, Andreas Eriksson, Manuel Espinosa, Denzil Forrester, Tom Friedman, Kendell Geers, Wayne Gonzales, Channing Hansen, Holly Hendry, Thomas Hirschhorn, Jim Hodges, Ilona Keserü, Rivane Neuenschwander, Ged Quinn, Deborah Roberts, Yinka Shonibare CBE, David Shrigley, Jiro Takamatsu, Kehinde Wiley and Luiz Zerbini.

Stephen Friedman Gallery is open through observation of physical distancing measures. We welcome you and ask that you please adhere to the following:

• There is no need to book your visit in advance. However, we will be operating with a limit of six persons in the gallery at any one time and implementing physical distancing measures throughout. Should there be six people in the gallery when you arrive, we will politely ask you to queue outside the gallery using the distanced markers, or return a little later. 
  

• Gallery staff will be on hand to assist you and answer any queries but we please ask you to maintain the 2 metre distance when conversing. Markings on the floor will provide guidance. Please note there will be no physical contact between staff and visitors, such as handshakes.
  

• You will be asked to wear a face mask for the duration of your visit and to sanitise with antibacterial gel immediately upon entering the gallery.
  

• Upon arrival, we will ask you to complete the NHS Track & Trace procedure via a QR code. This will only take a moment and means that you can be contacted should a member of staff or recent visitor with whom you might have come into contact contract COVID-19.