CURRICULUM VITAE

Solo Exhibitions

  • Curtis Holder: Portraits of Brotherhood, RBSA Gallery, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham, UK | 2025

  • Silent Echoes, Spoken Truths: Curtis Holder, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK | 2024 - 2025

  • Curtis Holder: Drawing Carlos Acosta, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK | 2024 - 2025

  • Curtis Holder: Portraits of Brotherhood, Guildford House Gallery, Guildford, UK | 2024

  • The Makers: Portraits from Backstage, National Theatre, London, UK | 2023

  • Something Unspoken, 45 Park Lane, Dorchester Collection, London, UK | 2021 - 2022

Group Exhibitions

  • Summer Contemporary 2025 (Invited Artist), Britten Pears Arts, Snape Maltings, Suffolk | 2025

  • Drawing (Paper) Show (Invited Artist), Bridewell Studios & Gallery, Liverpool | 2025

  • Contemporary British Portrait Painters Exhibition 2025, The Department Store, Brixton | 2025

  • Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester | 2025

  • Taking Pride In Art, Capital Group, 40 Grosvenor Place, London | 2025

  • The Space In-Between (L’Espace Entre Deux), Église St Laurent, Eygalières, France | 2025

  • Beyond the Prize: Celebrating Contemporary Figurative Art, Mall Galleries, London | 2025

  • Society of Graphic Fine Art 104th Annual Open Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2025

  • Benchmark: The Pastel Society 126th Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2025

  • Fragile, The Bomb Factory Art Foundation (Bird & Carrot Productions and Tsukanov Family Foundation), London | 2024

  • ING Discerning Eye (Invited Artist), Mall Galleries, London | 2024

  • Contemporary British Portrait Painters Exhibition 2024, The Department Store, Brixton | 2024

  • Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition (Invited Artist), Mall Galleries, London | 2024

  • Society of Graphic Fine Art 103rd Annual Open Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2024

  • Seeing the Unseen, Hearing the Unspoken, The John Ruskin Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London | 2024

  • Remarkable: The Pastel Society 125th Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2024

  • Works on Paper, The Gallery at Green & Stone, London | 2024

  • Guildford House Open, Guildford House Gallery, Guildford | 2023-24

  • Out of Town: Society of Graphic Fine Art, The Gallery, Holt, Norfolk | 2023

  • Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Decade, National Portrait Gallery, London | 2023

  • RBSA Drawing Prize, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham | 2023

  • Babington House Art Fayre, Soho House, Somerset | 2023

  • Nothing On: An Exploration of the Contemporary Nude in Art, Spread Gallery, Chelmsford | 2023

  • Drawing (Paper) Show, Bridewell Studios & Gallery, Liverpool | 2023

  • The Pastel Society 124th Annual Exhibition (Invited Artist), Mall Galleries, London | 2023

  • Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2023

  • The World Reimagined, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich | Until late August 2023

  • Life Stories: Intertwined Tales from the Life Room, Islington Arts Factory, London | 2023

  • Society of Graphic Fine Art 102nd Annual Open Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2023

  • Taking Pride In Art, Capital Group, 40 Grosvenor Place, London | 2023

  • Royal Society of British Artists Bicentennial Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2023

  • Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, ArtHouse Jersey, St Mary, Jersey | 2023

  • Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke | 2023

  • A Sense of Place, Bermondsey Project Space, London | 2022

  • Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London | 2022

  • The World Reimagined, National Art Project, London and UK | 2022

  • Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House, London | 2022

  • Wells Art Contemporary, Wells Cathedral, Somerset | 2022

  • Winners: Award Winning Artists 2020-2022, Mall Galleries, London | 2022

  • The Colour and Shape, The Gallery, Holt, Norfolk | 2022

  • UK Coloured Pencil Society Annual Exhibition, Online | 2022

  • Queer Frontiers, 7-9 Walker’s Court, London I 2022

  • MUFG Pride Exhibition, MUFG EMEA Headquarters, 25 Ropemaker St, London | 2022

  • Contemporary British Portrait Painters Exhibition 2022, The Department Store, Brixton | 2022

  • The Derwent Art Prize, 35 rue Debelleyme, Paris | 2022

  • Society of Graphic Fine Art 101st Annual Open Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2022

  • Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2022

  • Portrait Artist of the Year: The Exhibition, Compton Verney, Warwickshire | 2022

  • The Derwent Art Prize, gallery@oxo, London | 2022

  • The Pastel Society 123rd Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2022

  • UK Coloured Pencil Society 20th Anniversary Gala Exhibition, Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, London | 2021

  • Figurative Art Now, Mall Galleries, London | 2021

  • The Pastel Society 122nd Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2021

  • Society of Graphic Fine Art Centenary Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London | 2021

  • The Self-Portrait Prize 2021, Ruth Borchard Collection, Online | 2021

  • The British Art Prize, Artists & Illustrators, Online | 2021

  • Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House, London | 2020

  • Thread & Ink, The Paxton Centre, Crystal Palace, London | 2019

Education

  • PGCE, Primary Education (Art and Design), Roehampton University | 2010

  • PGDip, Character Animation, Central Saint Martins | 2005

  • BA (Hons) Graphic Design, Kingston University | 1991

  • Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Loughborough College of Art and Design | 1988

Awards

  • Winner, President’s Award, Society of Graphic Fine Art | 2024

  • Winner (First Prize), The John Ruskin Prize | 2024

  • Longlist, The Aesthetica Art Prize | 2024

  • Winner, The Tom Coates Memorial Prize, The Pastel Society | 2024

  • Winner, Drawing with a Dry-Based Medium Award, The Gallery at Green & Stone and St Cuthberts Mill | 2024

  • Winner, Guildford House Open | 2023

  • Highly Commended, RBSA Drawing Prize | 2023

  • Shortlist, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize | 2022

  • Winner, St Cuthberts Mill Award, Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) | 2022

  • Shortlist, The Derwent Art Prize | 2022

  • Winner, The Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award, The Pastel Society | 2022

  • Winner, The Frank Herring & Sons Award, The Pastel Society | 2022

  • Highly Commended, UK Coloured Pencil Society | 2021

  • Winner, Highly Commended Award, Society of Graphic Fine Art | 2021

  • Longlist, The Self-Portrait Prize, Ruth Borchard Collection | 2021

  • Highly Commended, The British Art Prize | 2021

  • Longlist, Jackson’s Painting Prize | 2021

  • Winner, Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year | 2020

Collections

  • MCC Museum, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, UK | 2025

  • Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK | 2025

  • National Portrait Gallery, London, UK | 2023

  • National Theatre, London, UK | 2023

  • Little House Balham, Soho House, London, UK | 2022

  • 40 Greek Street, Soho House, London, UK | 2021

  • Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK | 2020

  • Private Collections

Residencies

  • Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA | 2025

  • Leeds Art Gallery with UAL Decolonising Arts Institute, Leeds, UK | 2023 -24

  • National Theatre, London, UK | 2022-23

 
 

Professional Memberships

  • Honorary Member, Hesketh Hubbard Art Society | 2024 - Present

  • Member, The Pastel Society (PS) | 2024 - Present

  • Member, The Society of Graphic Fine Art (SGFA) | 2021 - Present

  • Member, Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP) | 2021 - Present

  • Derwent Artist Ambassador | 2021 - Present

Judging and Curation

  • Judge, Drawing (Paper) Show | 2025

  • Selector, NG Art Creative Residency & Galerie Heimat Art Prize | 2025

  • Director, Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) | 2025 - Present

  • Selector, Guildford House Open | 2024

  • Judge, The Cass Art Prize | 2024

  • Selector, The Derwent Art Prize | 2024

  • Selector, Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) | 2023

  • Advisor, Glyn Philpot: Flesh and Spirit exhibition, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester | 2022

  • Judge, Jackson’s Painting Prize | 2022

  • Judge, The Big Draw Festival | 2022

Broadcast

  • Artist Presenter, Artist of the Year: Masterclass (2 episodes), Sky Arts | 2025

  • Artist, Portrait Artist of the Decade, Sky Arts | 2023

  • Artist Presenter, Schools Hub ‘Artist Demonstration’ Video Series, National Portrait Gallery | 2023

  • Artist Mentor, Blue Peter, BBC One and CBBC | 2023

  • Artist Presenter, Portrait Masterclass with Curtis Holder (5 episodes), Sky Arts ‘Access All Arts’ Week | 2023

  • Guest Artist, Sunday Brunch, Channel 4 | 2023

  • Artist Mentor, Portrait Artist of the Year: Celebrity Christmas Special, Sky Arts | 2022

  • Artist Interview, Portrait Artist of the Year - Series 9, Sky Arts | 2022

  • Artist Interview, Inside Art: Glyn Philpot at Pallant House, Sky Arts | 2022

  • Artist Interview, Portrait Artist of the Year: The Exhibition, Sky Arts | 2022

  • Guest Artist, ‘Visual Arts - Seeking our Spaces’, Kiss My Black Side Podcast, Sadler’s Wells | July 2022

  • Artist Judge, The Island, Dave, UKTV | 2022

  • Guest Artist, ‘Portrait Artist of the Year: Curtis Holder’, That’s Not My Age Podcast | March 2021

  • Artist Presenter, Portrait Artist of the Week - Series 3, Sky Arts | 2021

  • Artist & Winner, Portrait Artist of the Year - Series 7, Sky Arts | 2020

Public Engagement and Teaching

  • Co-Speaker, In Conversation: Carlos Acosta and Curtis Holder, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery | 2025

  • Workshop Leader, The Joy of Drawing with Curtis Holder, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery | 2025

  • Artist Demonstration, The Magic of Pencil, The Pastel Society, Mall Galleries | 2025

  • Workshop Leader, Drop In Drawing, National Portrait Gallery | 2025

  • Speaker and Facilitator, Drawing Connections & Lines That Speak, Community Cultural Champions Symposium, Royal Ballet & Opera | 2025

  • Artist Talk & Mentoring Sessions, Art Academy | 2024

  • Workshop Leader, Portrait Workshop with Curtis Holder, River Stage Festival, National Theatre | 2024

  • Workshop Leader, Sketching Movement with Curtis Holder and Fukiko Takase, Clod Ensemble | 2024

  • Artist Talk, Sketching Portraits: Spotlight Session, V&A Academy | 2024

  • Panel Member, Children’s Press Conference, National Portrait Gallery | 2023

  • Artist Talk, Sketching Portraits: Spotlight Session, V&A Academy | 2023

  • Workshop Leader, Portrait Making with Curtis Holder, Soho House Summit 2023, Soho Farmhouse | 2023

  • Workshop Leader, Self-portrait Workshop with Curtis Holder and Kate Bryan, National Theatre | 2023

  • Keynote Speaker, Queer Heritage and Collections Network Symposium, Queer Britain | 2023

  • Workshop Leader, Children's Self-portrait Workshop, National Theatre | 2023

  • Workshop Leader, The Final Portrait: Live-draw with Curtis Holder and Clint Dyer, National Theatre, London | 2023

  • Artist Facilitator, Saw This_Made This, Soho House | 2023

  • Artist Talk, Sketching Portraits: Spotlight Session, V&A Academy | 2022

  • Panel Member, Using All the Colors: A Conversation on Storytelling, Representation, and Perspective, The World Reimagined, U.S. Embassy | 2022

  • Artist Discussion, Curtis Holder x Sketch Appeal for World Mental Health Day, Instagram Live, National Portrait Gallery | 2022

  • Workshop Leader, Figure & Portrait Drawing, Downland Art Society | 2022

  • Workshop Leader, Live Portraiture After Hours, Compton Verney | 2022

  • Workshop Leader, Portrait Masterclass with Curtis Holder x Sketch Appeal, Sketchfest | 2022

  • Artist Demonstration, Live Portraiture, The Derwent Art Prize | 2022

  • Guest Speaker, Trajectory of Emerging Artists, Ad-Diriyah Biennale, Sotheby’s Instutute of Art (SIA) | 2022

  • Featured Artist, Considering Art : Considering Line - Works of Curtis Holder, Considering Art | 2021

  • Artist Facilitator, Makeathon, Soho House | 2021

  • Artist Discussion, Line as storytelling, Instagram Live | 2021

  • Artist Discussion, Drawing from photo reference, Instagram Live, Draw Brighton | 2021

  • Primary School Teacher (Art & Design), London | 2008-2021

Publications

  • Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists, edited by Miriam O'Connor and Melanie Vandenbrouck, Pallant House Gallery, Yale University Press | May 2025

  • “Black Line Hauntology”, by Dr Rommi Smith, Decolonising Arts Institute, University of the Arts London | 2025

  • “Does This Portrait Look Queer to You?”, by Steve Slack, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Writing Prize | 2024

  • Artists, by Brynley Odu Davies, Trolley Books | December 2023

  • “Curtis Holder: Selected Quotes”, The Draw Journal by Draw Brighton | September 2021

  • “Curtis Holder: Artist Interview”, Talkingpoint: The Journal of the UK Coloured Pencil Society, Issue 79 | March 2021

Exhibition Catalogues

  • Contemporary British Portrait Painters Exhibition 2025 | 2025

  • Drawing Paper 10, Drawing (Paper) Show | 2025

  • The Pastel Society 126th Annual Exhibition | 2025

  • Contemporary British Portrait Painters Exhibition 2024 | 2024

  • Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2024 | 2024

  • The Pastel Society 125th Annual Exhibition | 2024

  • Seeing the Unseen, Hearing the Unspoken: The 6th John Ruskin Prize | 2024

  • Drawing Paper 9, Drawing (Paper) Show | 2023

  • Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2023 | 2023

  • The Pastel Society 124th Annual Exhibition | 2023

  • Royal Society of British Artists Bicentennial Exhibition 1823-2023 | 2023

  • The Pastel Society 123rd Annual Exhibition | 2022

  • Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2022 | 2022

  • Wells Art Contemporary Awards 2022 | 2022

  • Contemporary British Portrait Painters Exhibition 2022 | 2022

  • The Derwent Art Prize 2022 | 2022

  • The Pastel Society 122nd Annual Exhibition | 2021

  • UK Coloured Pencil Society 20th Anniversary Gala Exhibition | 2021

Media Coverage