Wednesday, March 04, 2026

Review: Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2026


Last year I was rather tough on the Annual Exhibition 2026 of the Royal Society of British Artists. Principally because I thought they had hung far too many artworks and consequently it was difficult to "see" the art.

As a result I sent a four page critique of the exhibition to the President highlighting various aspects of the exhibition I thought needed addressing and suggestions as to how. I gathered from last week that he had used it as a checklist to review all the aspects I suggested could do with attention.

This year I'm very pleased to say that this year we have a much improved exhibition to view with fewer artworks hung. Plus a much nicer experience at the TWO PVs. The "payoff" seems to be that more artwork is selling.

The West Gallery on Monday

I've now visited it three times:

  • at the NEW Private View for Art Collectors - which was very pleasant. We could all see the art properly and the red spots started appearing!
  • at the Artists' Private View last Thursday evening when I got to meet a brand new first time exhibitor who I first met 11 years ago. She was so very pleased that her abstracted artwork had sold before the exhibition had even opened!
  • Monday afternoon when I was able to get round the West Gallery and view all the artwork in more detail. Plus sat and chatted for ages with former President Mick Davies and printmaker Austin Cole about "exhibitions" which was again very enjoyable.
You can visit the exhibition 
  • at the Mall Galleries
  • until Saturday 7th March (10am to 5pm)
You can view the artworks online - and buy - via the online exhibition 
BOTH give you an idea about media, size and price of artwork on display

RBA Annual Exhibition 2026 - view in the East Gallery

You can also see artworks hung on the walls in the three galleries in my Facebook Albums (after yesterdays' hiatus!)

Facts about the Exhibition


Artwork comprises paintings, fine art prints, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and other 3D work in all kinds of media and but mainly (but not exclusively) a figurative / representative style - and you can see them at the Mall Galleries until Saturday 7th March.

The Mall Wall in the East Gallery

There are 438 artworks hung in the show (compared to 554 last year) - which is still more than I would like to see (c.400 is the optimum number for me) split between:
  •  244 artworks by members - nearly 60% (compared to 275 in 2025)
  •  194 artworks by open entry artists - just over 40% (compared to 279 in 2025)
Consequently 
  • a marginal reduction in members' artwork but a major reduction in the number of artworks selected from the open entry.
  • Open artists might like to note that they had 2351 open entries so those selected represented about 8% of the open entry.  Hence you need your very best artwork to get selected!
As a result, this year it's an exhibition which is much easier to view. There is more space between artworks which enhances the individual artworks as well as preventing eye fatigue when viewing art - as happened to me last year.

As a result, they are selling more artwork. Just over half way through, they are one short of the sales for the whole exhibition last year. 

Succulents and snails by Hun Adamoğlu RBA
oil on canvas, 35 x 45cm
£1,700 (SOLD)

Artists who are selling well numerically (sold 3 or more paintings so far) are:
  • Hun Adamoğlu RBA (Instagram) - a London-based artist with a Cypriot heritage working primarily in oil paint and graphite. I particularly liked the fresh eye he brought to a still life of succulents and snails! His largest work has sold for £12K.
  • Malcolm Ashman RBA - he's also an academician at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) and is the President of the Bath Society of Artists seems to have benefited from painting three heads that seem to make a triptych.
  • Rebecca Guyver RBA (Instagram) - who has sold 5 still lifes in egg tempera so far (many of which you can see on her Instagram account)! She is an American painter-printmaker, painting mostly in Suffolk. Her still lifes are eclectic and a colourful feast! I suggest next year some are hung in a group of four.  NOTE: I recommend artists note the size and price which make them all affordable art that is easier to find a space for.
(top) two of Rebecca Guyver's still lifes (now both sold)
(bottom) my favourite still life by Annie Williams which I looked at long and hard
Note the differences in framing. I much prefer light wood.

Open artist Louise Edwards's very attractive linoprints of birds are also proving popular (see her (Instagram) for even more). Prints and birds are an ever popular combination so it's nice to see them outside the SWLA exhibition where they sell extremely well - and these two are an excellent pair.

Both artworks have sold + 3 unframed prints 
I like the doubtl mount but think they'd look even better in a light wood frame.

My Impressions of the RBA Annual Exhibition 2027


Here's an assortment of impressions of this year's exhibition. (You can see my comments on all the exhibitions going back to at the end of this review)

Particular aspects which are noteworthy in this exhibition this year are:
  • Few large works but a lot of medium / medium large works. There's also a very good selection of small works - many of which are selling well.
Alison Stafford - a first time open entrant
whose abstracted light bright landscape sold before the exhibition opened
- with me. Last time we saw one another was 11 years ago!
(Dressing for your artwork always works well! ;) )
  • The diversity of styles and media used for drawings and paintings. That said I didn't get the impression I was seeing as much fresh original artwork by younger artists this year - probably as a result of the reduced number of open artists displaying. Maybe that's because younger artists now target the Rome Scholarship for artists 35 and under?
It was great to meet up with Aelfred Hillman,
a former winner of the Rome Scholarship whose paintings are always much admired.
He is actually a PhD Student at Cambridge University and paints in his spare time.
  • This is very much an exhibition for the 3D artist. The range and quality of the various items of sculpture is impressive - and there were some very unusual pieces this year!
3D artwork in the North Gallery

examples of more diverse 3D artwork in the East Gallery
  • this is an exhibition which has a fine selection of prints. However I think it might be worthwhile to reconsider how they are hung.  I'm very much a fan of a Print Corner or Big Print Wall because they always hang well together and those who like to buy more affordable prints also like to be able to see their choice more easily. 
Austin Cole is a perennial exhibitor of etchings
with RBA and others at the Mall Galleries
His prints always repay a closer look

Open entrant Christine Watson PS with her Mezzotint of Ano Styros Steps
(I had praised her steps artwork in the Pastel Society exhibition)
Christine studied at Winchester School of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art.
  • I was very, very impressed by the artwork of vast skies by Terry Watts RBA. It wasn't so much the meticulous technique he uses with his acrylic paint as the carefully observed clouds and the well considered compositions and the beautiful transitions in both tone and colour. I'd have liked to have seen a feature of the four paintings hung together. They certainly deserved it.
Two paintings by Terry Watts RBA

Things to think about for next year:

  • I think there's scope to improve the thematic hanging of artwork. The hang seemed to have a series of mini themes on the walls. Exhibitions by other Art Societies that I've seen in the Galleries of late have often benefited from having themes (figures / landscapes / still life on a much bigger scale. They seem to lend a continuity to the walls and are very easy on the eye. Plus yet again, for those who like buying a certain sort of artwork you are creating a better shop window for them. Sometimes art societies need to have a long hard think about how much do they want to sell art and what aids sales!
  • Sales of artwork priced below £1,000 seems to be generating the most sales. 
  • By way of contrast, I note that there seemed to be quite a lot of artwork priced within a price range which has typically not being selling well of late (across the year at the Mall Galleries) While some will sell, most will not. I will be doing a comparison of prices and sales at a later date to review how it all worked out for the RBA this year.
Mezzanine wall of small artwork

Deaths and Demography

One final note. I was saddened to see just how many members who had passed in the previous year and my jaw dropped at some of the names.  These were:

  • Fred Beckett (1933-2025)
  • Geoffrey Chatten (1938-2025)
  • Stephen Darbishire (1940-2026)
  • Judith Gardner (1952-2025) - a source of major regret to me. I very much used to look forward to her quiet landscapes in every exhibition. She also served for 16 years as Secretary of the RBS
  • Charles Hardaker (1934-2025)
  • Ann Heat (1936-2025)
  • George Large (1936-2025) - my jaw dropped. 
  • Anne Wright (1935-2025)
It does suggest to me that the RBA might like to study its current demographic profile of its member artists and importantly its exhibiting members. 
  • I fear there is a danger that that the society is becoming rather top heavy with older members. 
  • It's also not appealing to new recruits if a society feels too "old" for the younger artists.
While it has a few younger members, I am not quite sure why this society resists having a junior or associate member category. I think it should have a rethink! An art society is invigorated by having younger members and enjoys good health.

Reviews of Previous Exhibitions


These are my previous reviews of the annual exhibition
Posted by Making A Mark on Wednesday, March 04, 2026
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