In the ever-evolving world of painting, there is a new wave of talent. We asked eight art world experts—curators, directors, collectors—to tell us what individuals they think are poised to be among the class of 2024, or on the brink of breakthrough success.
George Rouy
George Rouy, Ghost and Shadows (2022). Image courtesy the artist and Hannah Barry Gallery. Photography by Damian Griffiths.
“My standout artist for 2024 is U.K. artist George Rouy, after his incredible show ‘Body Suit’ at Hannah Barry Gallery in Peckham this summer. His abstracted painting of the human form is both haunting and entirely captivating, encompassing the body in an energized sequence that feels immediate and visceral.
Watch out for his collaborative performance-installation with choreographer Sharon Eyal at the ICA London in December 2024. Based between London and Kent, Rouy will feature in a group exhibition, “Present Tense,” at Hauser & Wirth Somerset from January through April 2024. His work is already represented in major collections including ICA, Miami, and Fondation Cartier, Paris.”
—Neil Wenman, Global Creative Director & Partner, Hauser & Wirth
Wanda Koop
Wanda Koop, Eclipse, (2023). Courtesy Night Gallery.
“Meeting Wanda and hosting her debut U.K. solo exhibition “Eclipse” was a real highlight of our program at Frieze No.9 Cork Street this year. The exhibition, presented by Night Gallery in October, brought together a new body of luminous paintings encompassing her signature motifs and dreamlike landscapes. Coinciding with Frieze’s art fairs in Regent’s Park, the exhibition saw a great response from an international crowd and thousands of gallery visitors.
I adore Wanda’s style, spirit, and greatly admire both her artistic practise and her community work and social activism. I am super excited for her forthcoming exhibition at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and for her new publication Night Gallery is producing.”
–Selvi May Akyildiz, director, No. 9 Cork Street
Freya Douglas-Morris
Freya Douglas-Morris. Photo: Isabella Sanai. Courtesy of the artist and Alexander Berggruen.
“When I first encountered Freya’s work, I was immediately attracted to it. Her lush and inspiring landscapes magically transport me to other worlds—whether an imaginary seascape off the coast of Africa or a snowy mountain in the Swiss Alps. Her unique treatment of the canvas and her exquisite application of color make her paintings challenge the subject and medium itself. Freya represents a new generation of female painters shaping the canon, and I look forward to seeing her evolve as an artist.”
—Isabella Icoz, Partner, Lehmann Maupin
Adelisa Selimbašić
Adelisa Selimbašić Porcelain (2023). Courtesy of the Artist and Friedman Gallery
“This year it was a pleasure to explore the different galleries in the Vortic x Untitled virtual space. One particular artist who captured my attention was Adelisa Selimbašić, whose artwork was exhibited by Friedman Gallery. Her exploration of the way the body is perceived sparked my curiosity and her paintings were beautiful and intriguing. She is definitely an artist whose work I will look forward to seeing again.”
–Oliver Miro, Vortic
Jake Grewal
Jake Grewal, Eaten // Fled Tears (2021) © Jake Grewal. Courtesy the artist and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Richard Ivey
“I have been following Jake Grewal’s work for a number of years, from not long after he graduated from the Royal Drawing School in London. I was wooed by his works’ unbridled romanticism and sentimentality, which feel provocatively unfashionable. His drawings and paintings of solitary and paired figures in picturesque landscapes are rooted in a queer space and pervaded by a strong desire for escapism and intimacy in a world where these things are increasingly under threat.
While his paintings feel filmic and otherworldly, it is in his charcoal drawings that we see his remarkable technical ability, a talent learnt from the old masters which he studies intently. This dialogue with the past is explored in his current solo show at Pallant House Gallery, and plays out beautifully at the Fitzwilliam Museum where his recently acquired painting hangs alongside masterpieces by Georges Seurat, Edgar Degas, and Keith Vaughan.”
–Andrew Bonacina, curator
LaToya Hobbs
“LaToya Hobbs’ woodcuts are stunning. This year they were exhibited at Frieze LA and at the IFPDA Print Fair, where I acquired her entire portfolio. It was shown alongside the work of 5 other Black women printmakers, all part of Black Women of Print, a collective that promotes the visibility and advancement of Black women in the industry.”
–Jordan Schnitzer, collector and philanthropist
Beryl Cook
A Sotheby’s employee poses for photographs next to The war cry by Beryl Cook during a preview for the ‘Made In Britain’ collection at Sotheby’s on March 15, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images for Sotheby’s)
“Beryl Cook (1926–2008) was a painter renowned for her exuberant style and descriptions of everyday life. As one of the UK’s most popular artists, Cook might not be an obvious choice for a breakout artist. While Cook’s work already enjoys healthy auction results and is ever-popular in reproduction form in calendars and prints – I feel she is poised for a breakout in the ‘established’ art world. Her most enduring images are of larger-than-life women carousing in nightclubs, eating in cafés, or enjoying ribald hen parties which are completely full of pleasure.
Her forthcoming two-person exhibition at Studio Voltaire (with Tom of Finland) in May will offer a critical opportunity to reassess her practice, particularly surrounding ideas around gender, sexuality, taste and class.”
—Joe Scotland, director of Studio Voltaire
Ken Nwadiogbu
Fly on, Ride through, (2023)
“Ken Nwadiogbu, a visionary artist, recently graduated with a master’s in painting from RCA, is poised for an extraordinary year that includes a unique collaboration with GANT for a limited edition jacket and a significant role in the Netflix commissioned exhibition for ‘Top Boy;’ with his participation in a documentary to follow suit.
Additionally, he is currently working on a new series of special projects to be commissioned next year; these special projects, including a series of installations, promises to redefine the boundaries of his artistic practice. Ken’s journey transcends conventions, and these upcoming initiatives will undoubtedly contribute to his legacy as an artist pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.”
—Dolly Kola-Balogun, founding director of Retro Africa
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