The Manchester Contemporary

17/07/2026

The final spotlight in this series celebrating last year's Manchester Contemporary Art Fund acquisitions is Freedom and Respect (2024) by Shezad Dawood, represented by Castlefield Gallery.

The engraving on this cocktail shaker is adapted by Dawood from his banner design Freedom and Respect (A Banner for Castlefield) (2023), which was gifted to Castlefield to mark the organisation's 40th anniversary.

Freedom and Respect is now on display at Manchester Art Gallery as part of the Gallery's contemporary collection.

Thank you for following this series highlighting the Manchester Contemporary Art Fund acquisitions. Each work reflects the Fund's vital role in supporting artists and galleries while continuing to grow Manchester Art Gallery's collection for future generations.

15/07/2026

Today's spotlight from last year's Manchester Contemporary Art Fund acquisitions is Clack Clack (2024) by Simeon Barclay, represented by Castlefield Gallery .

Drawing on advertisements, magazines, television and music, Barclay combines images of culturally significant moments and figures with personal memories to explore how we define and situate ourselves within society.
You can find Clack Clack in Gallery 19 on the second floor of Manchester Art Gallery

13/07/2026

Today's spotlight from last year's Manchester Contemporary Art Fund acquisitions is Apparition (Series No. 6) (2014) by Brass Art, represented by Salad.

Drawing on traditions of puppetry and shadow play, Apparition explores illusion, transformation and the shifting relationship between the body and its image.
The work is now on display in Gallery 14 on the first floor at Manchester Art Gallery

07/07/2026

Manchester Contemporary Art Fund Acquisition

Errol Theunissen
Yes I Am Certain That The Romans Did Not Lie On Their Sofa Wearing Dirty Vans And Feasting On Pasta! (2024) (left image)
Radio (2024) (right image)
Represented by Texture Gasllery
Born and raised in Zimbabwe and now based in the UK, Errol Theunissen creates paintings rooted in personal experience and memory. His work is characterised by vivid colour, warmth, joy and emotional honesty, transforming everyday moments into scenes that feel both deeply personal and universally relatable.
With playful titles and expressive compositions, Yes I Am Certain That The Romans Did Not Lie On Their Sofa Wearing Dirty Vans And Feasting On Pasta! and Radio celebrate storytelling through painting. Together, they invite us to reflect on memory, humour and the ways our experiences shape how we see the world.

Acquired through the Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, both works are now part of Manchester Art Gallery 's permanent collection. Visitors can discover Yes I Am Certain That The Romans Did Not Lie On Their Sofa Wearing Dirty Vans And Feasting On Pasta! in Gallery 12 and Radio in Gallery 16.

06/07/2026

Manchester Contemporary Art Fund Acquisition
Common Whitlowgrass, Close In, Smyth Street (2025) from Helen Thomas represented by

What stories can be found in the plants we pass every day?
Helen Thomas explores our relationship with the overlooked plant life that thrives in urban margins, drawing attention to species that often go unnoticed beneath our feet or along our streets. By carefully observing and elevating these resilient plants, she encourages us to see them as worthy subjects of attention in their own right.
This piece invites us to slow down and look more closely at the everyday landscapes we inhabit, revealing the quiet beauty and ecological significance of the natural world that persists alongside city life.

The work is now part of Manchester Art Gallery 's permanent collection and can be seen in Gallery 11, First Floor.

03/07/2026

The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund Acquisition:
Es**rt Conference (Self Portrait) (2023) from Hetain Patel represented by COPPERFIELD LONDON
A web of gold acrylic paint unfolds across a vivid blue ground, revealing six overlapping self-portraits that are also suggestive of the intricate patterns of henna art. In Es**rt Conference (Self Portrait), Hetain Patel layers image and identity, creating a work that reflects on representation, heritage and the many versions of ourselves that we present to the world.
The interplay of colour, pattern and repetition invites viewers to look closely, revealing new details with every encounter and challenging traditional ideas of portraiture.
Acquired through the Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, Es**rt Conference (Self Portrait) is now part of Manchester Art Gallery 's permanent collection and can be seen in Gallery 11, First Floor.

02/07/2026

Continuing our series celebrating works acquired through the Manchester Contemporary Art Fund 2025:
The Procession (2023) from Lindsey Bull represented by William Hine Gallery
Drawing on found and archival imagery, Bull's paintings feature a cast of characters that blur the boundaries between history, memory and imagination. Her work explores themes of identity, performance and representation, inviting viewers to construct their own narratives.
The Procession is now part of Manchester Art Gallery permanent collection and is on display in Gallery 10, First Floor. The acquisition reflects the Fund's ongoing commitment to supporting outstanding contemporary artists while enriching Manchester's public collection.

01/07/2026

The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund Acquisition
The Best Things in Life are Free (2023) from represented by Brooke Benington
Oil, oil bar and wax on canvas
Gallery 5 First Floor (earlier Victorian displays) in Manchester Art Gallery

At first glance, Katie Tomlinson's figures appear to be performing on a stage or dancing in a club. On closer inspection, however, they are revealed to be confined within the interior of an oven.
Tomlinson frequently places her figures in disquieting or improbable settings, disrupting our expectations and inviting us to reconsider the relationships between performance, domesticity, power and vulnerability. Her paintings draw viewers in with their vivid colour and expressive surfaces before revealing narratives that are both psychologically charged and richly symbolic.
Acquired through the Manchester Contemporary Art Fund in 2025, The Best Things in Life are Free now forms part of Manchester Art Gallery's permanent collection, where it will continue to spark curiosity and conversation for years to come.

25/06/2026

There are some wonderful connections here for us at The Manchester Contemporary. Venture Arts has exhibited with us previously, has shared her insights as a speaker at the fair, and joins us as our hotel partner this year.

It's fantastic to see these collaborations and relationships continuing to create new opportunities for artists and audiences alike. Congratulations to everyone involved!

18/06/2026