FBA Artists Exhibit in ING Discerning Eye 2025

Person looks at wall of portraits with back to camera
Person looks at wall of portraits with back to camera

The 27th annual instalment of ING Discerning Eye takes place at Mall Galleries this week, with over 700 artworks by 529 artists, its largest exhibition to date. This year, the six Discerning Eye selectors, including Pastel Society member Curtis Holder, handpicked these artists from a staggering 6,500 entries.

Being selected for this exhibition, one of the longest-running commercial art sponsorships in the UK, is an incredible achievement, and we are proud to highlight a host of familiar faces from Federation of British Artists (FBA) Member Societies.

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Curtis Holder PS was chosen to be one of this year's selectors, meaning he had the job of curating one of the six walls of the exhibition. Curtis has taken over much of the North Gallery with his choices, including a selection of various portraits.

Curtis said of being a selector that 'although it was daunting to shift through such a vast number of entries' he was 'able to respond freely, without preconceptions, to whatever sparked a visceral response.'

He went on to say:

'My choices reflect the things I value most in art: honesty, craftsmanship and a sense of humanity. [...] The ING Discerning Eye is a true celebration of what art can mean to all of us. It reminds us that, no matter the medium, art has a beautiful levelling effect, bringing people together and, at its best, creating community.'

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No matter the medium, art has a beautiful levelling effect, bringing people together and, at its best, creating community.

Curtis Holder PS - ING Discerning Eye 2025 Catalogue

A huge congratulations to members exhibiting throughout the three gallery spaces from FBA Societies. These include:

Janine Baldwin PS

Akash Bhatt RBA

Peter Clossick NEAC

Austin Cole RBA

Simon Conolly RSMA

Julie Cross RI

Steven P Smith AROI

John Walsom ROI

Toby Wiggins RP

Duncan Wood NEAC

Hannah Woodman RI

Robbie Wraith RP

Martha Zmpounou RI

View the full list of works in the exhibition on the Discerning Eye website.

ING Discerning Eye 2025

All these fantastic artists, alongside over 500 more, are on display at ING Discerning Eye 2025 at Mall Galleries until Saturday 23 November.

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