London Art Fair is back for 2026, bringing together a curated selection of leading Modern and Contemporary galleries from the UK and around the world. It’s an event that marks the beginning of the international art calendar, setting the tone for conversations and curation throughout the year. Now in its 38th year, the fair remains an unrivalled destination for collectors and art enthusiasts to discover new work and connect with one another. Visitors can expect the very best mixture of 20th century masters and emerging figures, each one reaffirming London Art Fair’s role as a cornerstone of the UK art market – a place to discover notable pieces, deepen existing connections and kick off the season with purpose.
Highlights of the Main Fair include household names such as Francis Bacon, Barbara Hepworth, William Kentridge, Louise Bourgeois and Frank Auerbach, offering audiences the unique chance to see these masters in a single place. One standout moment comes from England & Co. The gallery presents a survey of British Surrealism, 90 years after the first International Surrealist Exhibition in June 1936. The display features works by Ithell Colquhoun and Sir Roland Penrose, revisiting a movement that never gained the same foothold in Britain as it did in Paris, yet left a lasting and distinctive imprint. Here, Surrealism is reframed through a specifically British lens, shaped by local culture, landscape and sensibility. Photography also plays a key role in the Main Fair, with James Hyman Gallery showcasing photographic editions from world-renowned practitioners Cecil Beaton, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier.
Meanwhile, an exciting range of British contemporary art galleries bring together practitioners who are shaping the art scene today. Tracey Emin, Vanessa Jackson RA, Oisin Byrne and Alexander Massouras are all on display. However, the combination of well-known figures with emerging artists is what makes this section particularly special. One moving example is Alveston Fine Art’s presentation of 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. Once again, photography comes to the fore with artists like Nick Meek, whose images are defined by simplicity, an optimistic colour palette and spacious compositions, whilst Polina Piëch’s abstract shots evoke the tactility of nature’s elements: water, air, earth and fire.
Beyond the Main section, London Art Fair’s curated sections offer a space for experimentation and discovery. This year’s Platform is curated around unexpected approaches to material and form, spotlighting artists working at the edges of contemporary practice. The exhibition is curated by Dr Ferren Gipson, an art historian, broadcaster and writer. It builds upon her acclaimed book Women’s Work, exploring how materials, process and form can shift how we create and experience art. The Fair also sees the return of Encounters, established in 2005 to support emerging and international galleries. This year’s theme is “radical care,” with artists like Murat Balci, who approaches issues of power, the body and representation through a queer political lens; and Fumie Onuki, who explores memory, fragility and queer temporality.
Together, these strands reinforce why London Art Fair continues to matter. As it enters its 38th edition, the fair balances heritage with innovation, pairing historic voices with urgent modern perspectives and giving equal space to reflection, experimentation and dialogue. Through encountering a 20th-century master, discovering a new generation of artists and engaging with curatorial themes that speak to the present moment, visitors are reminded that London Art Fair is more than simply a somewhere to view art, it is a place where ideas are exchanged and the future of contemporary practice is shaped.
London Art Fair is at Business Design Centre, London 20 – 25 January 2026: londonartfair.co.uk
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
1&4. Polina Piëch, Unlocked Tides, 2025, C-type (chromogenic) print on Fujiflex mounted on aluminium, 119 x 173 cm or 122 x 176 cm with frame, Edition 1 of 3. Art Elsewhere.
2. White Sands, Nick Meek, Courtesy of Crane Kalman Brighton.
3. Italy, Lake Como, Varenna. Landing Stage at Dusk, João Artur da Silva, 1978_2025, Courtesy of Perve Galeria.
