At the heart of London Art Fair is a commitment to presenting museum-quality Modern British art alongside international and emerging contemporary practice. As Fair Director, Sally Bent leads this vision, shaping a platform that brings together over 120 leading galleries each year and connects them with both established and first-time collectors from around the world.
Sally’s career spans a wide range of art and craft events, from major international fairs to more intimate, boutique platforms. Central to her approach is a belief in creating space for emerging voices while fostering meaningful connections between artists, galleries and audiences.
With so much to discover at LAF26, Sally has curated her Director’s Highlights to offer a considered introduction to the Fair’s 38th edition, spotlighting exceptional works and distinctive practices across the galleries.
Secure your tickets today and explore the Director’s top picks below ahead of your visit.
David Hockney’s Potted Daffodils (1980) dates from a particularly strong period in the artist’s printmaking and captures his mastery of colour and compositional balance. Shown by Watson Evans Art in Prints & Editions, the lithograph represents an opportunity to discover a work that distils Hockney’s enduring engagement with the everyday, available at Stand M6.
David Hockney, Potted Daffodils, 1980. Lithograph on cream, Rives BFK paper, 44 1/10 x 29 9/10 in, 112 x 75.9 cm, Edition of 98 + 18AP. Courtesy of Watson Evans Art
James Johnston’s Epona (2024) exemplifies the assured restraint that has come to define the artist’s recent work. Drawing on myth without sentimentality, the painting possesses a quiet authority that rewards close looking. Presented by Siger Gallery, it is a considered highlight of their selection in Encounters.
James Johnston, Epona, 2024. Acrylic, 76 x 101cm. Courtesy of Siger Gallery
Vanessa Barragão’s Clam (2025) transforms reclaimed fibres into a sculptural form of striking tactility and presence. Bridging contemporary concerns around sustainability with a refined material language, the work reflects the artist’s international profile and is presented by Ben Austin Projects in Platform, Stand P10.
Vanessa Barragão, Clam, 2025. Wool and tencel (Upcycled materials), metal Latch hook, crochet and other fiber manipulations, 245 x 30 x 110 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Ben Austin Projects
TAG Fine Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary at LAF26. Having exhibited with the Fair for many years, TAG has been a long-standing and valued part of the London Art Fair community. Visit TAG Fine Arts on Stand 16 for the launch of Tobias Till’s brand new lino print, Shaken or Stirred and celebrate 20 years of TAG at London Art Fair 2026.
Tobias Till, Shaken or Stirred, 2026. Lino print on Somerset White Satin 300gsm paper, 85 x 63 cm, 112 x 76 cm. Edition of 50. Courtesy of TAG Fine Arts
John Robinson’s Mother 3 (2024) is a quietly concentrated oil painting in which intimacy and distance are held in careful balance. Working on a modest scale, Robinson allows the image to unfold through subtle shifts of tone and a restrained handling of paint, lending the composition a sense of psychological weight without overt narrative. Reflecting the artist’s ongoing interest in memory and emotion as they surface through small, closely observed gestures, the work is presented by A Modest Show on Stand G32.
John Robinson, Mother 3, 2024. Oil on canvas, 16 1/10 x 19 7/10 in, 41 x 50 cm. Courtesy of A Modest Show
Walter Richard Sickert’s Viscere Mie (1927) reveals the complexity of the artist’s late approach to tone and structure, rewarding sustained attention. James Hyman Gallery presents the work within their collection at Stand 8.
Walter Richard Sickert, Viscere Mie, 1927. Oil on canvas, 61.4 x 44 cm. Courtesy of James Hyman Gallery
Jo Chate’s Limbo (2024) occupies an ambiguous psychological space, where subtle figuration and atmosphere work in tandem. Zarastro Art features the painting within their presentation at Encounters.
Jo Chate, Limbo, 2024. Oil on linen, 46 x 41cm. Courtesy of Zarastro Art
Gillian Ayres’ Untitled (1981) is defined by the confident interplay of colour and gesture, where broad, assured strokes create a sense of movement across the canvas. The composition balances energy with control, allowing the viewer to follow the rhythm of the marks while appreciating the subtle modulations of tone and texture. Quad Fine Art presents the painting as part of their post-war abstraction display on Stand G18b & P4.
Gillian Ayres, Untitled, 1981. Oil on canvas, 125 x 120 cm. Courtesy of Quad Fine Art
Black Swan I (2019) by Emily Young is a striking stone sculpture that evokes the elegant, enigmatic presence of its avian namesake while harnessing the ancient, textured material of the earth to bridge natural history and human mythos in a form that feels both timeless and deeply alive. Several scultures by Young will be available via Gerrish Fine Art, Stand 7.
Emily Young, Black Swan I, 2019. Kilkenny Marble, 16×61. Courtesy of Gerrish Fine Art.
Material sensitivity is central to Emily Ponsonby’s Buttered Greens (2025), where beeswax and oil create a surface that oscillates between still life and abstraction. The painting is included in Gillian Jason Gallery’s presentation at Stand P5.
Emily Ponsonby, Buttered Greens, 2025. Beeswax and oil on panel 160cm x 100cm. Courtesy of Gillian Jason Gallery.
LONDON ART FAIR 2026
Business Design Centre, Islington, London, N1 0QH
21- 25.01.26
Preview Evening 20.01.26
https://londonartfair.seetickets.com
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