Issy Wood Named Inaugural Artist for National Portrait Gallery's New Contemporary Program

The National Portrait Gallery in London, a historic institution founded in 1856 as the world's first portrait gallery, is expanding into the contemporary with a new program called Artist Focus. The initiative will bring three exhibitions annually to the gallery's Weston Wing, with free admission, beginning with American-born British artist Issy Wood. Her show runs from October 9, 2025 through February 28, 2027.

Wood, who in 2025 painted pop star Charli XCX for a Vanity Fair cover, has already been collected by the National Portrait Gallery. Among its holdings is her Self Portrait 2 (2021), which will be displayed during the presentation. The exhibition will feature 11 paintings from the artist's personal collection and seven portraits that have never before been exhibited publicly.

A platform for experimentation

Flavia Frigeri, the gallery's chief curator, framed the program as a continuation of the institution's innovative spirit. "We were the first portrait gallery in the world when we were founded in 1856 and remain the global centre for the study and appreciation of portraiture today," she said. "As the home of portraiture, the NPG is best placed to be a venue and a platform for continued experimentation, as we work to inspire future generations by showcasing the work of trailblazing artists."

The Artist Focus program signals a strategic effort by the National Portrait Gallery to position itself as a venue for living artists, leveraging its historical authority to shape contemporary portraiture's market and institutional recognition.

Portrait competition context

The gallery has run an international portrait competition since 1980, which was renamed the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award in 2024 to reflect the law firm's sponsorship. It includes a cash prize of £35,000. This year's winner was Marc Dalessio for his portrait Jean-Denis, named after his neighbor. Other competitors included Lucille Dweck, who painted British Iraqi writer, actor, drag performer, and filmmaker Amrou Al-Kadhi, and Hannah George, a fashion publicist at Hermès who painted Mummy Needs A Break, depicting a woman resting her hand on her head with her eyes shut.

For collectors and market watchers, the integration of contemporary artists like Wood into the National Portrait Gallery's programming—along with its active acquisition of her work—underscores the institution's role in legitimizing and elevating current portraiture. The free admission and multi-year run of the Artist Focus exhibitions are likely to generate significant public engagement, potentially influencing demand for the featured artists' works.

As the gallery has already acquired three pieces by Wood, this institutional backing adds to her market trajectory, aligning with a broader trend of museums supporting living artists. The program also highlights a shift in the gallery's identity—from a repository of historical masterpieces to a platform for contemporary expression.

While the exact financial details of the sponsorship for Artist Focus were not disclosed, the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Award's £35,000 prize indicates the gallery's commitment to supporting artists through significant monetary incentives. This dual approach—exhibitions and competition—reinforces the NPG's goal of inspiring future generations through the work of trailblazing contemporary artists.

With Wood's show set to run through early 2027, the program's longevity offers sustained visibility. As the inaugural artist, Wood's selection may set a precedent for the caliber and style of artists the gallery will feature in future iterations of Artist Focus.