
Royal Society of British Artists ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2026

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Royal Society of British Artists ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2026

Exhibition open 26 February to 7 March 10am to 5pm
Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1

The Royal Society of British Artists is a member of the Federation of British Artists
The Royal Society of British Artists enters the current exhibition year with renewed energy, and a strong sense of outward engagement. Across exhibitions and collaborations, the Society continues to affirm its role not only as a guardian of painterly tradition, but as a living forum for contemporary practice and debate.
Attendance at last year’s Private View reached 650. Whilst the Society welcomes such engagement levels, it meant that actual viewing of the works was very restricted. This year therefore we have re-instituted a practice from the past, ‘The Collector’s Evening’, which enables collectors, sponsors and benefactors to view the exhibition in more leisured surroundings. The Private View and Official Opening will continue as usual the following evening.
The year is marked by a particularly rich programme of events and workshops, underlining the Society’s commitment to discourse as well as display.
The exhibition programme is further strengthened by distinguished contributions. We are especially pleased to welcome Anthony Eyton RA as Guest Artist, whose presence brings both continuity and depth, linking generations of practice through a lifetime of sustained inquiry into observation, memory, and paint.
Beyond the Mall Galleries, RBA artists continue to make a strong impression nationally. Members’ work features prominently in exhibitions at the Royal Society of Arts and the Soden Gallery, reinforcing the Society’s presence across the wider exhibiting landscape.
This year is also notable for the success of our emerging artists. Particular congratulations are due to our Rome Scholar, Ken Nwadiogbu, whose scholarship year proved exceptionally productive.
The RBA is able to offer the Rome Scholarship as a result of a generous bequest from the late Mr G.H. Benn, in memory of his late wife Marianne Von Werther, a former member of the RBA.

The Society is deeply grateful for the continued generosity and vision of Huaicun Zhang and Xianyan Chen, whose patronage plays a vital role in supporting artists at every stage of their careers. Through the Huaicun Zhang Award for Excellence and associated awards for emerging artists, their commitment extends from established practitioners to those at the very beginning of their professional journeys. I would also like to extend gratitude to The De Laszlo Foundation for their continued benefaction enabling so many artists, particularly the young through the years. The Society is fortunate indeed to enjoy the support of so many corporate and individual sponsorships.
Taken together, these activities reflect a year of breadth and ambition: established voices alongside emerging talent, scholarship alongside exhibition, and a clear commitment to excellence in painting. This catalogue stands both as a record of achievement and as an invitation—to look closely, to think deeply, and to engage with the continuing vitality of British art today.
With my very best wishes to you all,
Michael Harrison PRBA Hon RBSA
Hun Adamoğlu
Christopher Aggs
Malcolm Ashman
Martyn Baldwin
Paul Bartlett*
Denis Baxter
Akash Bhatt
Annie Boisseau
Cinzia Bonada*
Susan Bower
Peter Brown
Stephen Brown
Sue Campion
Austin Cole
Richard P Cook
Rowan Crew*
Cheryl Culver
Mick Davies
Clive Duncan
Meg Dutton
Pat Elmore*
Jeremy Galton
William Garfit
Brian George
Megan Di Girolamo*
Carole Griffin
Rebecca Guyver
Habib Hajallie
Julian Halsby
Miranda Halsby
Michael Harrison
Lewis Hazelwood-Horner
James Horton
Carole Hubble*
Henry Jabbour
Pamela Kay*
Alan Lambirth*
Martin Langford
Jill Leman
Martin Leman
Anna Lever
Lee Madgwick
John Martin*
Christopher Miers*
Bridget Moore*
Chris Myers
Peter Newsome
Vicky Oldfield
Steven Outram
Susie Perring
Melvyn Petterson
Guy Portelli
Jon Pryke
Barbara Richardson
Jacqueline Rizvi
David Paul Rowan*
David Sawyer
John Scott Martin
Melissa Scott-Miller
William Selby
Carolyn Simpson
Nicola Slattery
Richard Sorrell
Sarah Spackman
Tessa Spencer Pryse*
David Sprakes
John Sprakes
Callum Stannard
Felicity Starr
Dennis Syrett
Malcolm Taylor
Will Taylor
Nick Tidnam
Kirsten van Schreven
Nicholas Verrall
Peter Warden
Terry Watts
Robert E Wells
Annie Williams
Anthony Yates
*Senior Member
Honorary Members
Olwyn Bowey
Joyce W Cairns
Anne Desmet
Sixiao Feng
Ed Isaacs
Alex Lidagovsky
Andrew Marr
Hosen Nakamura
William Packer
Shanti Panchal
Michael Sandle
Jacqueline Taber
Huaicun Zhang
It is with sadness we report the passing of members Fred Beckett (1933-2025), Geoffrey Chatten (1938-2025), Stephen Darbishire (1940-2026), Judith Gardner (1952-2025), Charles Hardaker (19342025), Ann Heat (1945-2025), George Large (1936-2025), and Anne Wright (1935-2025).
To contact any artist, please email honsec@ therba.org or see the artist’s page on the RBA website at www.therba.org

For over 200 years the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution has provided assistance to professional artists and their dependents in times of need. Funds are urgently needed for the continuation of this work.
Office of the Institution: 15 Churton Street, London SW1V 2LY www.agbi.org.uk
Telephone 020 3161 9183
Registered Charity No. 212667

We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding finalists from our 2025 Rising Stars Exhibition for the prestigious Rome Scholarship; Tim Ashley, Katie Kaur, and Ken Nwadiogbu.
After an intense and inspiring selection process, Ken Nwadiogbu emerged as the recipient of this coveted award. His prize includes a £5,000 grant and an exclusive four-week artist residency at Sala Uno, a renowned gallery in the heart of Rome. This extraordinary opportunity provides him with accommodation, a dedicated studio space, and the chance to immerse himself in the vibrant artistic culture of the city.
While Ken takes this next exciting step in his artistic journey, we also celebrate our two outstanding runners-up, Tim Ashley and Katie Kaur, who have each been awarded a £1,000 grant in recognition of their exceptional talent.
As a testament to their achievement, all three finalists have a featured work in our current exhibition, showcasing their artistic vision as part of the Rising Stars/Rome Scholarship initiative—an incredible platform dedicated to supporting and elevating emerging UKbased artists.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Huaicun Zhang, whose generous support makes the Rome Scholarship possible, helping to nurture the next generation of artistic talent.
Stay tuned for this year’s Rising Stars!


The RBA offers significant prizes and awards:
The Huaicun Zhang Award for Excellence 2026
An award of £10,000 will be offered for a work (or works) of exceptional quality. The selection committee reserves the right to split the award as is deemed appropriate for works in the exhibition.
The de Laszlo Foundation Award
£2,000 awarded to an artist aged 35 or under for the best work from life, plus four Highly Commended awards of £300 each
The Michael Harding Awards
Two prizes of £500 worth of art materials
NEW The Daler-Rowney Award
£500 of art materials for an outstanding work
The John Lynn Commemorative Award for a Young Artist £500
NEW Ronald Benham Memorial Award
An annual memorial prize of £500 in the name of Ronald Benham RBA NEAC, to be awarded to an artist for work painted in a traditional manner in celebration of the natural world
The Surgeon’s Prize £500
The Winsor & Newton Award
Art materials to the value of £500 for an outstanding painting
The MONTOOLI Award
A prize of £300 for an outstanding portrait painting in the exhibition. The name of the award is derived from a Bengali word which means, “A paintbrush from the creative heart”.
The Peter Kelly Commemorative Prize £300
The Gordon Hulson Memorial Prize
£250 for draughtsmanship, variety and exploration
The Ronald Morgan Memorial Award £250
The Stuart Southall Print Prize £250
Frinton Frames Award
£200 of picture framing at Frinton Frames
The President’s Award
Ten free submissions to exhibitions by the Federation of British Artists at Mall Galleries for a non-member exhibitor
Nathan David Award for Sculpture £150
The Geoffrey Vivis Memorial Award £100
Painters Online Award
The winner will be featured in The Artist magazine. Sponsored by Painters Online, the home of Leisure Painter and The Artist
The Dry Red Press Award
The winning work will be published as a greetings card
The Royal Society of British Artists pays tribute to several late, great members.
Fred Beckett (1933-2025)
As an East Anglian, Fred Beckett had a natural love of landscape and big skies. Both aspects provided Fred with great inspiration and gave wonderful opportunities to observe nature through all her elements.
Fred’s aim, as in all his paintings, was to capture the feeling of being there and experiencing the atmosphere, activity and any particular sense of light, colour and so on. He regarded each painting as a new adventure!

Stephen Darbishire (1940-2026)
Living in the Lake District, Stephen’s love for his surroundings was the inspiration for his paintings. The interiors of cottages and farm houses, sunlight pouring through windows, fires burning in open hearths, tables laid for afternoon tea, vases of flowers from hedgerows and celebrations of the seasons….
Judith Gardner (1952-2025)

Geoffrey Chatten (1938-2025)
Geoffrey Chatten was born in Norfolk in 1938, and started painting with oils in the 1960s. By the 1980s, Geoffrey was working at a professional level. With no formal painting instruction, he developed a unique impressionistic technique within his studio. The personal nature of his paintings captured the essence, feeling and atmosphere of his chosen subject. Geoffrey became a full member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1995.

‘Judith Gardner was elected to the RBA in 2000, and for those of us who have also been members for a number of years, she will be remembered as one of the most devoted servants of the Society, particularly for the sixteen years she served as Secretary. Above all, she was a special and gifted painter whose work was admired by fellow artists and the buying public alike.’James Horton PPRBA
Charles Hardaker (1934-2025)
Charles was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists in 1984 and remained a valued member for over four decades. He was also a longstanding member of the New English Art Club. His work was wide-ranging, encompassing painting, printmaking, and design, and he exhibited regularly at the Mall Galleries and across the UK. Beyond his artistic practice, Charles was known for his generosity of spirit, his encouragement of fellow artists, and his commitment to the Society.


Ann Heat (1945-2025)
Born in Esher, Surrey in 1945, Ann studied at Kingston School of Art, London College of Printing and Kathleen Browne School of Painting. The RBA will miss her warm smile and her beautiful paintings which so reflected her calm and gentle nature.

John McCombs (1943-2025)
John McCombs was a famous and pioneering artist who captured the moods and magic of Saddleworth and its people. John was elected as a member of the RBA in 1998. John loved the hands-on approach to exhibiting - with his exhibiting habits he built a national reputation, winning several prestigious art prizes.

George Large (1936-2025)
Born in Angel, Islington in 1936, George Large studied at Hornsey College of Art between 1958 and 1963. In 1997 he was elected an Associate member of the Royal Society of British Artists, then to Full membership in 1998.
George was still painting until his death, aged 89, in 2025.

Anne Wright (1935-2025)
Anne was born in Nottingham and trained at Nottingham College of Art, followed by four years at the Royal Academy Schools, London. She was a Council member of the Chelsea Art Society and President of the Small Paintings Group. Anne was elected as a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 2012.

Ronald Benham (1915-1993)
The RBA is pleased to announce an annual memorial prize of £500, to be awarded for a work painted in a traditional manner in celebration of the natural world. This annual award, in commemoration of painter, etcher and lithographer Ronald Benham RBA NEAC (1915-1993), is endowed through a generous bequest in the Will of his beloved wife, the late Jill Veronica Tilsley-Benham.
BENHAM, Ronald (22nd September 1915 - 11th January 1993), RBA 1977 (Senior member 1990), NEAC 1972 (Honorary member 1990); painter, etcher and lithographer. A retrospective exhibition of Ronald Benham’s work was held in September 1993 at Mall Galleries.

We are especially pleased to welcome Anthony Eyton RA as Guest Artist, whose presence brings both continuity and depth, linking generations of practice through a lifetime of sustained inquiry into observation, memory, and paint.
Anthony John Plowden Eyton OBE RA (born 17 May 1923) is a British artist and member of the Royal Academy of Arts, Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), Royal Watercolour Society (RWS), and the London Group.

He has work in public collections, including:
Tate Britain and Modern Imperial War Museum
Contemporary Arts Society
Guildhall Art Gallery
London Transport Museum
The Eden Project, Cornwall British School, Rome
Stowe School
Arts Council, Great Britain
Leicester Royal Infirmary
British Museum
Carlisle Art Gallery
The Queens Collection
Eyton turned 102 on 17 May 2025 and is still painting every day.

Patron
Xianyan Chen
Officers
President: Michael Harrison
Vice President: Henry Jabbour
Hon. Secretary: Eve Pettitt
Hon. Treasurer: Francis Drasar
Membership Secretary: Hun Adamoğlu
Council
Hun Adamoğlu
Rebecca Guyver
Henry Jabbour
Vicky Oldfield
Guy Portelli
Carolyn Simpson
Felicity Starr
Will Taylor
Terry Watts
Anthony Yates
Directors and Custodian Trustees
Mick Davies
Michael Harrison
Henry Jabbour
Terry Watts
Society Trustees
Nick Tidnam
Terry Watts
Other Appointments
Keeper: Michael Harrison
Fellows
Roger Austin
Liam Culver
Brenda Davies
John Deston
Colin Gardner
Michael Harding
Philip Harris
Anthony J Lester
Hideotoshi Kushida, CEO Qualiart
Alistair Redgrift

The RBA Annual Exhibition 2026 - Hanging List







































































For artists, an archive is more than documentation — it is the continuing life of the studio.
Genus works with artists, estates, and foundations to digitise drawings, sketchbooks, correspondence, photographs, and studio records with museum-level care. Fragile works are handled conservatively, captured at high resolution, and organised so that ideas, processes, and finished works can be understood together.
Whether preparing material for publication, exhibition, estate planning, or future scholarship, Genus helps artists ensure their work is accurately preserved, intelligible, and accessible without losing the integrity of the original.
From working studios to posthumous archives, Genus enables artists’ legacies to endure.

Genus, Hammond Close, Attleborough Fields Industrial Est, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6RY, UK www.genus.uk, info@genus.uk, (024) 7625 4955

Pattern and detail in both the natural and the man-made world lie at the heart of Meg Dutton’s paintings and etchings. Her work is particularly inspired by Moorish pattern and architecture, whose rhythmic structures, geometry, and ornamental richness strongly inform her visual language.
Drawing, collage, and printmaking play a central role in her practice. Compositions are often developed through collages of observed drawings and photographs, gathered in response to specific places, cities, or landscapes. These source materials are reconfigured and layered, allowing pattern, colour, and structure to emerge intuitively rather than through direct representation. The resulting works balance observation with invention, evoking atmosphere and memory rather than offering a literal depiction of place.

The Whistler Medal - “truth prevails”

Meg’s work is characterised by a careful interplay between structure and freedom. Repetition, surface detail, and spatial ambiguity invite close looking, while the integration of architectural and organic forms reflects her ongoing interest in how human design intersects with the natural world.
Meg lives and works in London. Since joining the Royal Society of British Artists, she has served on the councils of three past Presidents and has contributed extensively to the life of the Society. Her roles have included Membership Secretary, organiser of social events, member of the Education Committee, member of the Selection and Hanging Committee, Trustee, and Vice President.
The RBA Whistler Award is inscribed with the latin motto “veritas vincit” that means “truth prevails”.
The award goes with a monetary prize kindly donated by Huaicun Zhang Hon. RBA.




Top left:
Sunset Mosques, Etching and watercolour
59 x 91 cm
Top right:
Shadows in the Afternoon, Etching
62 x 49 cm
Bottom left:
Glasshouse, Etching and watercolour
82 x 60 cm
Bottom right:
Secret Garden, Etching and watercolour
63 x 48 cm
Meg Dutton RBA
a.Sayura Sayu Watanabe
Aiko Mizutani
aiueo
Aki Yoshida
Akimasa Yamane
akiyo
Andalara
Aoi Okawara
Atelier Marie Rosa Mari
Takyu
Atsuka Hattori
Atsushi Aonuma
AWJED
Ayaka Yotsumoto
Ayumi Chiba
ayumu
Balzac
Bikyu
Carol Ave -2000-
chastool studio
Chie Aoki
Chieko Notsu
Chihiro
chihiro yamato
Chino Asanuma
Chiyomi Ujiie
Chizu Ishida
Chizu Suzuki
Chizuko Yamaguchi
Chizuru Murata
ChokoTya
chou chou
Cobaco Toshie Tanaka
Con grazia YUKO
Den-en no Lycee
Dragon soul artist
RYUGA
e_riko
Eiko Namba
Ema
Emiko
Eri-s.factory eri
erizo
flowrite
Fuga Tsuji
Fujimi
Fumie Hata
Fusami Furukawa
Fuyou Takahashi
Gen hashiguchi
Gyoku Misaki
Hana-gatari
Harumi Hosoda
Harumi Saji
Harumi Tokuda
Haruya Hukumuro
Hasami
Hatsue Inoue
Hayato Kimura
HIGUCHI Kazuyo
Hiroki Hirayama
Hiroko Dekio
Hiroko Inoue
Hiroko Kondo
Hiroko Sasaki
Hiromi
Hiromi Fujita
Hiromi Otsuka
hiromi sigaty
Hiromi Yamamoto
Hiroshi Nagoya
Hiroyuki Inoue
Hisae Sakuma
Hisashi Tobikata
Hitomi Saito
Hojun Nishishita
Hoka Fukuzumi
Hosen Taniguchi
Hotaru Yoshida
Ichiko Iwamoto
ikumi kokubo
Ikumi Watanabe
Ikuyo Taguchi
Isamu Ota
Jinn Yagi
jolie fleur
Josyo Matsumoto &
Keijitsu Matsumoto
Jukei Niiro
Jun Nishizaki
junjun
Junko Miyazaki
Junna Matsumoto
Junya Sorimachi
Jusho
Kana
Kanato Kichibei
kashu Ando
Kasui
Kasui
Katsuyo Ono
katsuyukiaratake
Kayoko Hirosue
Kazan Kokubo
kazehareruya
Kazuko Yamazaki
Keigetsu Kawahara
Keiko Hara
Keiko Kobayashi
Keiko Ueda
Keiko Umemura
Keiya Sugimoto
Keizo Fujimori
Ken Kamui
Kimie Hanamura
Kimiko Kobayashi
Kimiyo Kunikata
Kiteretsu factory Ayami
Ohsawa
Kiyoka Endo
Kiyoko Shiozawa
Kiyoko Sugimoto
Koji Kakihara
Koki Sato
Kokichi Sota
Kosai Watanabe
Kouei Sasaki
kweli
Kyoko Hayashi
Kyoko Kajimoto
Kyoko Nakata
Kyoko Tsuchiya
Lakshmi
MAISON SUN CUE
maiyan
Maki Jikyo
MakiRyu
Mari
Mariko Harada
Mariko Shimada
Masako Kaneko (sakura)
Masako Omori
Masami Yumura
Masayo Masuda
Masayo Sakai
megumi koyama
Megumi Seto
Megumi.S
Meiyu Niwa
Merry Candle
Michiko Otsuki
Midori Imai
Midori Okano
Midori Uchida
Mie de La Fraise
Mie Haruki
Miho Yoshida
Minako Okita
Miori Handa
Misato
MItsue
Mitsunori Makino
Mitsuru Kanematsu
Miwa Utsunomiya
Miwako Suzuki
Miyoko Kakizawa
Miyu
Miyuki Hasekura
Miyuki Nemoto
Momoe Kawazoe
Muneko Hirate
Mutsufuku
Mutsumi Shirasu
Mutsumi, the Thread
Weaver
Myu
Nakajima Tenyu
Namie Kobayashi
Nanako Inawasiro
Nanko Okamura
Naomi Kitagawa
Naomi Okura
Naomi Shitanaka
Naoya Iguchi
Noboru Taketsu
Nobuharu Tsutsumi
Nobuko Takahashi
Nobuko Tokai
Norihiko Mizoguchi
Noriko Kobayashi
Noriko Tanaka
ogain
okoroom
Porcotto Mariko
Okamura
Rei Mizuki
Reiko Nakamura
Reiko Okamoto
Reikou
Reina Sugimoto
Reishun Iisaka
Rie Miyazawa
Rishun Ishii
Rumiko Terasaka
Ryo Yazawa
Sachiko & Kuncit
Sachiko Konagaya
Sachio Shimura
Saika Gyokuei
SALON de SHIHO
Sanae Kumaki
Saori Matsuda
SAORI TRIBE
Sasha
Sayuri Hasegawa
Sayuri Kitagawa
Seigo
Seiko Takenaka
Sen Tange
SHIBUICHI KIKUE
Shigeo Nakajima
Shihori Suzuki
Shika
Shimpei Hattori
Shin-emon
Shinko Maruyama
Shinobu Akiba
Shinon.
Shion
Shunso Masuda
Soosei Inaguma
Sora Aoi
Soshu
Sparkle Art Artist saori
SPIRAL
Spiritual Lifecoach
NORIKO
Sumie Hasegawa
sunny spot garden
sweet time Hisa
Sweetjuliet Yukino
Sawada
syosaiart suijun
Takae Natsukawa
Takumi Uno
Tamayo
Tatsumi Masuda
Teruko Yanagimachi
toaru neco. -KOGO-
Toji Takemura
tomecomono
Tomoji Saeki
Tomomi Adachi
Tomomi Kurinoki
tomomi-type
Toshiko Kanamitsu
Toshiko Yasui
Toshiyasu Towatari
Tsumamizaiku Koubou
Chiyori.
Twinkle Crush Art
ulysses
Vico Ogawa
Violine
Yamaguchi Ben
YAMATO soul art kasumi
Yanagisawa Yoshiko
Yasuhisa Shimizu
Yasuko Otsuka
Yasuko Shiizu
Yokara
YOKO MURATA
Yoko Nagai
Yoko Shirakawa
Yoko Yamaguchi
Yoshi.
Yoshie Senda
Yoshiko Matsumoto
Yoshiya Fujiwaka
Yui Oyama
Yuichi Tanigawa
Yukari Yamaguchi
Yukihiko Nakamura
Yukiko Sato
Yukiko Tokuda
Yukiko Yamada
Yuko Hirasaka
Yumiko Ishihashi
Yumiko Okada
Yuno Kondo
yuri©CasaBlanca del Artista
Yuriko Hirayama
Yuuki(yukidigis)
yuzu
