Where is Damien Hirst when you need him? In 1988, when he was still studying at Goldsmiths, the artist curated a group show called “Freeze,” featuring the work of many of his classmates. The media turned up and christened them the YBAs—Young British Artists. Charles Saatchi bought some work from the exhibition, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Currently, there is no specific “branding” for emerging artists in the UK. And the YBAs? Well, you would probably need to take out a sizeable loan if you wanted to buy some of their work now. But with over 100 universities in Britain currently offering art degrees, there is no shortage of talent out there.
We’ve picked out a handful of emerging artists working in the UK who have awards and solo exhibitions under their belts, but who you won’t find at Art Basel or Frieze…just yet! Now is the time to get to know this crop of up-and-coming talent.