Curtis Holder: Portraits Of Brotherhood

Comprising more than 20 works on paper, including a series of large-scale multi-layered portraits, and exploratory drawings, Curtis Holder: Portraits Of Brotherhood reflects the artist’s core aim: to use line to search for connections and explore conversations. Throughout the project, conversations with Holder’s sitters centred around their shared experiences as Black and Brown men. Behind each drawing lies an often unspoken narrative, stories of conflict, exclusion, and vulnerability, interwoven with stories of perseverance, creativity, and hope. Throughout the drawing sessions, artist and sitter had time and space to be open and frank about the biases they face because of their skin colour and gender. These portraits challenge the assumption that Black and Brown men are all the same and should be viewed as such. They are not. The portraits offer a multifaceted view, revealing intimate layers of identity and emotion in the face of society’s opposing stereotypes. These works ask the viewer to look closer, not only at the febrile lines that form the figures, but also inward, at their own perceptions of the people looking back at them.

Curtis Holder gained widespread recognition after winning the prestigious Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2020. He has continued to gain critical acclaim through solo and group exhibitions, artist residencies, and commissions, and has achieved several accolades, including The John Ruskin Prize in 2024.

In 2021, Holder was appointed the National Theatre’s first-ever Artist in Residence in 2022, leading to his 2023 exhibition The Makers: Portraits from Backstage. In the same year, he was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and the Terrence Higgins Trust to create a posthumous portrait of Terry Higgins, one of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS-related illness. From 2023 to 2024, Holder completed an 18-month residency at Leeds Art Gallery which culminated in the exhibition that opened in November 2024 for five months. This year has seen a collection of his work exhibited at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, including his commission of Carlos Acosta, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, and a solo exhibition at Guildford House Gallery.

Curtis Holder is a member of Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP), The Society of Graphic Fine Art (SGFA), and The Pastel Society (PS), and his work is held in prominent public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Soho House.

Private View: Thursday 4 September 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Meet the Artist and Live Demonstration: Saturday 6 September 12.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 13 September 5.00pm

Featured image: Curtis Holder, One Man And His Dog