Cecily Brown: Picture Making at Serpentine
A major presentation of Cecily Brown’s recent works exploring nature, memory, and the act of painting, supported by Bukhman Foundation.
Serpentine Galleries presents Cecily Brown: Picture Making, a major new exhibition of recent and newly commissioned works by one of the most important painters working today. The show brings together dynamic paintings, monotypes, and drawings inspired by the unique setting of Kensington Gardens, a place of personal significance for the artist.
Known for her vigorous brushwork, vivid colour and compositions that traverse the line between figuration and abstraction, Brown revisits themes of nature and park life, drawing on imagined and remembered landscapes, woodland scenes and uncanny strolls through the park. Picture Making marks her first major solo exhibition in the UK in over two decades and offers a focused insight into her current artistic practice.
As a key exhibition donor, the Bukhman Foundation is proud to support this landmark presentation at Serpentine Galleries.
The exhibition opens at Serpentine South from 27 March to 6 September 2026.
About Cecily Brown
Born in 1969 in London, UK, Cecily Brown is one of the foremost painters working today. Following instruction from British painter Maggi Hambling, Brown attended the Slade School of Fine Art, London, where she graduated with a BFA in painting in 1993. During her studies, she undertook an exchange programme at the New York Studio School where she found a deep affinity with the city. In 1994 she moved to New York, where she has continued to live and work ever since.
Recent major solo exhibitions of the artist's work include Dallas Museum of Art, TX, USA (travelled to Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 2025); Museo Novecento & Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy (2023); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA (2023); Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany (2022); Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy (2022); Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, UK (2020); and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebak, Denmark (2018).
About Serpentine
Serpentine in London’s Kensington Gardens (Serpentine North and South) connects artists and audiences through pioneering contemporary art exhibitions, architectural projects, education, and cultural events. With a legacy of over fifty years, it showcases both emerging and internationally renowned artists, writers, scientists, and thinkers.
The annual Serpentine Pavilion, launched in 2000 with Zaha Hadid, presents first UK works by leading architects, while major public art commissions include projects by Eduardo Paolozzi, Anish Kapoor, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Yayoi Kusama, Gerhard Richter, Esther Mahlangu, and Giuseppe Penone.
Maintaining free access for all, Serpentine engages diverse audiences and fosters a strong connection with its local community.
Images
Cecily Brown, The Serpentine Picture, 2024, © Cecily Brown, 2025.
Cecily Brown, Nature Walk with Paranoia, 2024, © Cecily Brown, 2025.
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