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Pastel Society | Annual Exhibition 2026
This is the Pastel Society NEW website.
Key Dates
Official opening at 6:30pm by Mark Cazalet, Senior Member of Faculty at the Royal Drawing School
Exhibition opens: Wednesday 21 January, 10am to 5pm daily
Exhibition closes: Saturday 7 February, 5pm
Collection of unsold work: Thursday 12 February 10am to 5pm
Awards and Prizes Winners 2026
Award Winners Photographs Courtesy Mark Sepple
Installation Photographs Courtesy Mark Sepple
Invited Artist Kelvin Okafor
The Pastel Society Sealed Bid Appeal
2026 Pastel Society Sealed Bids
Interviews with First Time Exhibitors
FBA Fundraiser – FBA Editions
Prints for a Cause
Limited Edition Prints from the Federation of British Artists
To view the full range of prints available:
https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/exhibitions-events/fundraiser-fba-editions
Pastel Society Members Tanya Avchinnikova and Ian Rawling are featured.
The 126th Anniversary Exhibition Guest Speaker will be: Carole Hübscher CEO of Caran d’Ache sponsors of the Pastel Society.
Interview with Caran d'Ache CEO, Carole Hübscher
THE ReMARK February 2026
As I write, we are four days into ‘Direct Touch’, the 127th PS Annual Exhibition 2026 and the reactions from our visitors have been very good. The introductory remarks from our speaker Mark Cazalet from The Royal Drawing School reminded us that whilst AI threatens change, the originality, enthusiasm and individual technical skill of direct human creativity cannot be matched.
Whilst the prizes given out highlight the work of some of the member and non-member submissions (see the list of winners) [READ MORE] we congratulate all the artists who succeeded in getting a great variety of work in this year. It was also wonderful to see so many members on the preview day as well getting the chance to meet non-members, whether submitting for the first time or returning again. We also thank the hard work put in by our five candidates for membership this year and await the results of the membership vote at the end of the exhibition at our AGM.
The Studio has been busy from day one and whilst constantly manned by a variety of members giving out plenty of enthusiasm, knowledge and advice, so far Richard Rees has run workshops highlighting the use of Caran D’Ache products, Curtis Holder spent a day demonstrating the unique conversations he has with his subjects, of which I was delighted to be one, and myself demonstrating the creative process using pastel and dry and mixed media. But there is still so much still to come so please look at both this and the Mall Galleries’ websites to check on details.
Also, do not forget that there are still prizes yet to be won. The two best works at our Art Event Evening, there are still a few places available, so please book through the Mall Galleries:
[READ MORE]
The People’s Choice Award for a work in the exhibition and The Studio Prize given to work undertaken by non-members during the exhibition in the gallery. All the work submitted for The Studio Prize will be shown on our website and two works, chosen by us, that stood out for a prize, will be announced after the exhibition.
Remember that all the work kindly given by members and sold through the Sealed Bid [READ MORE] will ensure that The Pastel Society thrives and pursues its charitable promotion of pastel & dry media in the UK. 10% of monies raised goes to the AGBI to help artists going through hardship. We also hope that sales will go well overall to ensure that individual artists can continue to build on the fine work they produce and finally to ensure that The Federation of British Artists, which is also a charity, can continue to promote contemporary visual arts in the UK. Own art and support a creative and charitable cause at the same time.
Simon B. Hodges VPPS
DIRECT TOUCH PS Annual Exhibition 2026.
Weds 21 Jan – Sat 7 Feb. 10am – 5pm
Say hello, have a coffee, enjoy a chat and get involved.
info.thepastelsociety@gmail.com
Featured artist
Maria Kaleta PS
Artist’s Statement:
For me, art is a source of joy, but also a way to live. It pushes the artist to observe the world more freely, noticing beauty in the diversity of life. It also teaches a certain modesty and appreciation for the creation that surrounds us.
Multiculturalism has always been an important topic in my work. My home town, Kępno, was a melting pot of religions and cultures growing up. I then moved to London in my forties and dove into one of the most multicultural cities in the world. I am drawn to the pulse of these urban spaces, their energy and dynamism, as well their history. I like the idea that they become a living chronicle of events, transforming before our eyes – and us with them. I feel at home sketching on the streets of London, or on the London Underground, whether through “pixels” on my iPad, or with a pencil and sketchbook.
Ever since the rise of digital in the early 2000s, I have also been interested in the virtual world – the interaction between the real and this fourth dimension. Most recently, the pandemic brought everyone to the screen as we sought to maintain relations with loved ones. It underscored the value of real interaction, as we found the world of Skype and Zoom ultimately unsatisfying. As humans, we crave genuine connection with friends, family and nature. I have always felt at home in the outdoors and I enjoy involving natural landscapes in my work, learning from their composition of colours and forms.
I suppose the thread running through all of this is an attraction to big ideas. I try in my work (to varying degrees of success) to convey something about everyday life, existence, identity, as well as friendship and/or loneliness. The experience of living in a multicultural city like London reaffirms the truth that we must stick together in our troubles. Instead of dismissing the problems and rights of others, we should strive to understand them. In an age of technology and computer screens, we should be doing our best to seek out human faces.
