Alison Friend
(b. 1973, UK)
Alison Friend is a British artist known for her whimsical, anthropomorphic animal portraits. A graduate of Nottingham Trent University with a degree in Fine Art and Printmaking, she holds the distinction of being the first female stonemason for the City of Nottingham. As an accomplished children’s book illustrator, Alison has illustrated over twenty books to date for notable publishers, including Harper Collins, Nosy Crow, Hodder Children’s, Templar, Usbourne, Little Tiger Press, Alfred Knopf, and most recently, Artisan.
Friend’s oil paintings combine the timeless techniques of the Old Masters with a playful contemporary twist, capturing the human-like antics of cats and dogs. This distinctive style has attracted collectors worldwide and earned her exhibitions across the UK, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, including the London Art Fair, Frieze Seoul, Art Jakarta, British Art Fair, Context, Manchester Art Fair, Royal Academy Summer exhibit, and Outsider Art Fair.
Alison lives in the Lake District with her son, where she continues to create whimsical yet masterfully crafted works that captivate collectors worldwide.
EXHIBITIONS
2025
Solo Show, Love Bite, Harman Projects, New York, New York
Group Show, Art Jakarta, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
Group Show, Tokyo Gendai, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Group Show, Frieze Seoul, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Group Show, Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, London, England
Group Show, White Space Art Asia, Singapore
Group Show, Old Dogs, New Tricks, The Gallery Holt, Holt, England
Group Show, Outsider Art Fair, Harman Projects, New York, New York
2024
Group Show, London Art Fair, Adrian Hill Fine Art, London, England
Solo Show, While You Were Out, Harman Projects, Los Angeles, California
Group Show, Brancacci Art Gallery, Florence, Italy
Solo Show, Guilty Pleasures, The Gallery Holt, Holt, England
Group Show, You’re Just My Type, Outre Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Group Show, British Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery, London, England
Solo Show, Royal Watercolour Society, Adrian Hill Fine Art, London, England
Group Show, Context Art Fair, Harman Projects, Miami, Florida
2023
Group Show, Context Art Fair, Harman Projects, Miami, Florida
Group Show, Life is Sweet, British Art Fair, Adrian Hill Fine Art, Saatchi Gallery, London, England
Group Show, Live with It, Mura Ma, Stockport, England
Group Show, Kitty Bungalow Benefit, Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Group Show, Chiaroscuro, The Gallery Holt, Holt, England
Group Show, Precious Little, Mura Ma, Stockport, England
2022
Group Show, Artist Support Pledge, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, England
2021
Group Show, ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London, England
Group Show, The Scotland Art Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland