We are excited to launch the Bethlem Gallery Art Collection, generously supported by the Peter Sowerby Foundation. Since opening in 1997, Bethlem Gallery has collaborated with over 2,000 artists. From these connections, over two hundred artworks have been carefully selected to form the foundation of the collection. 

This exhibition is organised into three themes: People, Environment, and Abstraction. Works such as Mark Titchner’s Some Questions About Us and Dawn Kalu’s piece on displacement highlight artists’ focus on people and systems. Liz Atkins’ Whitstable in Charcoal and Raymond’s Yellow Sofa explore our relationship with the spaces we inhabit. Abstract works by Philip Deed and Kim Feld engage us through texture and colour, while portraits and figure studies invite connection.

About the Collection 
A Collection Advisory Board, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has shaped the collection’s development. The board has deliberated over how the collection will be useful, how it will be different to other public collections, as well as ways to ensure the collection evolves ethically and inclusively. 

The works from this exhibition and the wider collection will be displayed across South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the local community through a loans programme. This initiative aims to make the Collection accessible, encouraging dialogue and engagement beyond the gallery walls. The Collection is also accessible via our website:

View the Collection online catalogue here.

Find out more about the Collection Advisory Board and Collection FAQs here. 

Image: Pat Mear, Primary Freefall 3, n.d. Copyright The Estate of Pat Mear