Cecily Brown at Serpentine South with Picture Making
Published on 08/21/2026 at 17:45 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Cecily Brown is back in London with a major institutional solo show. Serpentine says Picture Making opened on March 27, 2026 at Serpentine South and runs to September 6, 2026.
The Serpentine return
The exhibition is Brown's first solo presentation of paintings in a UK institution since 2005. Serpentine presents new paintings inspired by Kensington Gardens, plus monotypes and drawings tied to the same park landscape.
Christie's also linked Brown's name to the spring market cycle. Its London result page notes that Mean Eyed Cat sold for £1,016,000 on March 7, 2026, while the same auction season framed her as part of a strong museum-and-market moment.
What the London show adds
Independent coverage echoed the institutional scale of the presentation. Wallpaper described Picture Making as a review at Serpentine South and confirmed the same run dates, while Christie's placed the show beside a March auction result.
The timing matters because Brown sits between museum attention and the secondary market. That combination gives the exhibition a sharper edge than a routine gallery survey.
All news and background on Cecily Brown
Explore related reports, exhibition notes, auction results and collection references around the painter.
How Brown paints
Brown's practice sits in painting first. Her work is known for dense brushwork, shifting figuration, and landscapes that balance desire, bodily forms and unease.
The Serpentine show folds those concerns into a specific place. Kensington Gardens becomes both subject and structure, which gives the new paintings a clear London anchor.
Where the work stands now
Brown currently has Picture Making on view at Serpentine South through September 6, 2026.
Cecily Brown at a glance
- Artist: Cecily Brown
- Medium / Genre: Painting (contemporary figurative-abstract)
- Born: 1969, London, United Kingdom
- Place(s) of practice: New York
- Active since: 1990s
- Key work groups: landscape paintings, monotypes, drawings
- Current/last exhibition: Picture Making, Serpentine South, London, March 27, 2026 - September 6, 2026
- Major collections: Tate, MoMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Awards: Turner Prize nomination, 2002
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Cecily Brown
Where is Cecily Brown currently on view?
She is on view at Serpentine South in London with Picture Making, which runs through September 6, 2026.
What did Cecily Brown's Mean Eyed Cat sell for?
Christie's says the work sold for £1,016,000 on March 7, 2026 in London.
What defines Cecily Brown's recent work?
Her recent paintings at Serpentine center on Kensington Gardens, with monotypes and drawings extending the same visual field.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
