Young Artists' Summer Show 2026

Beautiful exhibition at the Royal Academy featuring work by young artists aged from 4 to 18.

I always try to go to see this show which is only on for a few weeks as you often see work of a surprisingly high quality. This year I made a special point of going as a friend's son had a piece in it, so a big shout out to Chip aged 11 and his zine about AI in art. It was a shame it was shown quite low down as it was all about the detail which was hard to see.

Works which stood out for me this year with the hyperreal "Granny's Glassware" by Ella aged 16, a dark portrait of a couple called "Marriage" by Fimi aged 17 which wouldn't have looked out of place on Sky Portrait Artist of the Year and the cleverly composed urban landscape by Natalie aged 18.

A special shout out to Inaya aged 16 for their "Political 'Sauces' Sources" a series of ketchup bottles each filled with a censored newspaper article about the world leader who was then referenced with a reworked label. It was an innovative conceptual piece and better than a lot that I have seen in adult exhibitions.

Closes 30 August 2026

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