Thaddaeus Ropac takes on representation of Denzil Forrester: the painter of London’s clubs finds a new home after the collapse of Stephen Friedman

The international gallery Thaddaeus Ropac has taken on representation of the British painter Denzil Forrester, as Artnet News reports. The news marks a new chapter for the 70-year-old artist, only a few months after his previous gallery, Stephen Friedman Gallery, entered administration and closed its doors after three decades of activity in London.

According to Artnet News, Forrester will be presented immediately with two works at Frieze London, the major contemporary art fair held this October — the first public debut of the collaboration with the gallery, which has spaces in London, Paris, Salzburg and Seoul.

Born in Grenada in 1956 and settled in London at the age of 11, Forrester is known for his colourful paintings that immortalise the scene of London’s reggae and dub clubs of the early 1980s — the energy of dancing crowds, the pulsing lights and the rhythm of the music. A graduate of the Central School of Art and the Royal College of Art, he was honoured with the title MBE in December 2020, while in recent years his work has attracted the attention of major institutions, from ICA Miami to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

The closure of Stephen Friedman Gallery — which, as The Art Newspaper wrote, entered the administration process on 2 February 2026 — was one of the most talked-about events of the year in the London art market, leaving dozens of artists without representation. Ropac’s taking on of Forrester confirms the painter’s status as one of the most sought-after names of his generation.