Holly Frean is a London-based artist working across painting, printmaking and ceramics. Her practice centres on portraits and faces — human and animal — alongside reimagined scenes from the working lives of artists such as Rothko, Warhol, van Gogh and Vuillard. These narrative vignettes are often painted onto recycled palettes or small panels and arranged in grids, inviting the viewer to read them sequentially. In all media, her work combines strong draughtsmanship and keen observation with a distinctive thread of humour, balancing lightness with an underlying existential depth. She has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, and has received numerous accolades including the National Open Art Competition Painting Prize, awarded to her by Grayson Perry in 2012. Commissions include the Duchess of Northumberland, Kit Kemp, Larry David, Russell Tovey, Johnny Boden, Russell Howard and Ricky Gervais, while collaborations with Anthropologie, Burberry, Paul Smith and Andrew Martin reflect the breadth of her practice.
Collaborations include
Burberry Anthropologie Paul Smith Andrew Martin (Interior Design)
Collections include
Larry David Johnny Boden Derek Conway MP Neisha Crosland Alan Duncan MP Lee Evans Ricky Gervais Russell Howard Betty Jackson CBE Kit Kemp MBE Lord Mervyn of Abersoch The Duchess of Northumberland Paul Smith CBE RDI Russell Tovey
Selected Exhibitions
2025 RELICS, Green & Stone, London (upcoming)
2025 Solo exhibition with Air Contemporary, London (upcoming)
2025 Giant egg for The Big Egg Hunt, Battersea Power Station, London
2024 CURIOS, Green & Stone, London
2024 The Miniature Dogs Poker Deck of Playing Cards - sold in shop
2024 FACE PAINT (solo), Farrow & Ball, London
2024 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2024 Wells Contemporary, Wells Cathedral, Somerset, UK
2024 20 Year anniversary exhibition, Cavaliero Finn, London
2023 HEADS (solo) Green & Stone, London
2022 ING Discerning Eye, The Mall Galleries, London
2022 Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2022 Henley Festival, Hollandridge Group, Oxfordshire, UK
2022 DOG (solo), The Kennels at Goodwood, Sussex, UK
2022 The Dog Show, with Sally Muir & Jo Osborne, Brighton, UK
2019 Art, Objects & Curiosities, Paul Smith, London
2018 Objects of Desire, The New Craftsmen, London
2018 HOLLY’S ARK (solo), Zimmer Stewart Gallery, Sussex, UK
2018 Group exhibition, Paul Smith flagship store, London
2017 THE PLATE SHOW pop up, Battersea Power Station, London
2017 Summer Exhibition, The Royal Academy of Arts, London
2016 WHO’S COUNTING (solo) Paul Smith Flagship Store, London
2016 ING Discerning Eye, The Mall Galleries, London
2016 Maker’s House, Burberry / The New Craftsmen, London
2015 ING Discerning Eye, The Mall Galleries, London
2015 POKER FACE (solo) at Rebecca Hossack Gallery, New York, USA
2014 FOWL PLAY (solo), Anthropologie, London
2014 Summer Exhibition, The Royal Academy of Arts, London
2013 ING Discerning Eye, The Mall Galleries, London
2012 ING Discerning Eye, The Mall Galleries, London
2012 BEFORE/AFTER (solo), Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London
2011 Art in Fashion, Chelsea Arts Club, London
2010 Ugly Bug Ball, Chelsea Arts Club, London
2009 Exquisite Corpse, Chelsea Arts Club, London
2008 A DAY IN THE LIFE (solo), Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
2007 INITIA NOVA (solo), Chelsea Arts Club, London
2004 Me You He She We You They (solo), Shepherds Market, London
2003 URBAN SITES (solo), The Troubadour Gallery, London
2003 Building Sights (solo), Berlin, Germany
1996 ING Discerning Eye, The Mall Galleries, London
Prizes & Awards
2015 Lawrence Alkin Painting Prize
2012 National Open Art Painting Prize, selected by Grayson Perry
2012 ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, selected by Sky Sherwin
2008 Derek Hill Foundation Scholarship, British School at Rome (shortlisted)
2002 Scholarship holder, Guild of Fishmongers
2002 William Pardoe Watercolour Prize
2001 Peter Connard Travel Award
Press & Publications
Prints published by Rosenstiels (ongoing)
Wall decor and greetings cards, The Art Press (ongoing)
Flow (2023)
Goodwood (2019, 2022)
Pallant House Gallery Magazine (2022)
Home & Antiques (June, 2018)
Period Living (June, 2018)
The Resident (May, 2018)
Liberty London Girl (March, 2018)
China Ceramics Illustrated (January, 2017)
Country Life (January, 2017)
Architectural Digest (January, 2017)
The Sunday Times (November, 2016)
Fresh Paint (August, 2016)
Hedge (February, 2016)
The Chromologist (December 2016)
The Gloss (Autumn, 2015)
Ace Artists greetings card for Royal Academy of Arts (2015)
Every Room Tells a Story, Kit Kemp (2015)
The Polysh (April, 2015)
Montem Magazine (Issue #3, 2014)
The Telegraph Magazine (October, 2014)
Sunday Times Style Magazine (August, 2014)
monograph, Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery (2008)
World of Interiors (October, 2008)
Wall art and cards, The Art Group (2006)
Wallpaper, issue #18 (1999)
Browse images for licence held at Bridgeman Images