TJ Boulting Gallery in London Shuts Down
The TJ Boulting Gallery in Fitzrovia London, renowned for displaying women photographers is shutting down operations after 13 years. In a report by The Art Newspaper, co-founder Hannah Watson said that the art market downturn has “certainly been a factor” in deciding to close the gallery. She adds, “I don’t know many galleries that are having an easy time right now. I managed to keep going without compromising. You are ultimately running a business.”
The central London gallery announced its closure via Instagram on 14 February. While many of TJ Boulting’s artists are now without gallery representation, Hannah Watson remains confident in their future endeavours. She said in the post, “The decision has been brewing for a while and I’ve done everything I wanted to do with the gallery. Although it was a hard decision to choose to close the gallery, I feel the time is right to move on to new opportunities.”
TJ Boulting Gallery’s Historic Significance
Gigi Giannuzzi and Hannah Watson founded the TJ Boulting Gallery in 2011. It two-level Art Noiveau building ran at the corner of Riding House Street, Fitzrovia. It operated alongside the photography and fine art book publisher Trolley Books—established by Giannuzzi in 2001—which continues to operate without a permanent location. In 2013, Gigi Giannuzzi passed away due to cancer, making Hannah Watson the sole director of TJ Boulting Gallery.
Courtesy – Time Out
TJ Boulting Gallery derived its name from the previous occupants, boiler and electrical equipment manufacturer T.J. Boulting & Sons, who developed the site during their shift into property development in the late 19th – early 20th century. They were inspired by their advertisement with green and gold tiling.
Courtesy – TOAST
Trolley Books’s photojournalism and political art was the foundational beginning of TJ Boulting. At the time, the gallery had eight female members. These included Indian documentary photographer and Deutsche Borse Foundation Photography Prize nominee Poulomi Basu, along with 2016 British Journal of Photography International Photography Award winner, portraitist Juno Calypso.
Why Was TJ Boulting a Premier London Art Location?
To Hannah Watson’s admission, although TJ Boulting Gallery was “very much a commercial gallery,” it has consistently served as a “hub” for the art and photography community. The gallery was especially known for video and photography exhibitions. It has nurtured talents like Juno Calypso, Maisie Cousins, Haley Morris-Cafiero, and Daisy Collingridge. Their inaugural show featured Alighiero Boetti.
Courtesy – Artsy
TJ Boulting Gallery had an impressive roster of guest curators, including art critic Charlotte Jansen—whose show centred around birth—and editor Louis Wise, who examined the male gaze. Writer-Curators, Katie Hessel and Charlotte Jansen also dismantled the themes of birth, female perspective, and textile art, before they were even popular.
Its closing exhibition, Un Oeuf Is Un Oeuf, showcased works by Sarah Lucas, Man Ray, and Francesca Woodman. Time Out’s Eddy Frankel gave it a four-star review calling it a ‘brilliant, joyful, funny’ display. It encouraged visitors identifying as women or men dressed as women to throw an egg at a wall to make a large abstract piece.
Courtesy – TJ Boulting Gallery
Throughout its operations, the TJ Boulting Gallery has played a pivotal role in London’s contemporary art landscape, securing acquisitions for museums and participating in international art fairs. It also partnered with Manchester nonprofit Venture Arts, aiding disabled artists such as Barry Anthony Finan, who received the prestigious Paul Hamlyn Award in November 2024.
What’s Next for Hannah Watson?
In an interview with Artsy, she exclaims, “I feel I achieved everything I wanted with TJ Boulting Gallery, and that’s why it’s time to move on.” She describes the lineup, “It was never a conscious decision. But if you look at my roster, it’s predominantly women.” Hannah Watson plans to continue running Trolley while also engaging more with public art. She aims to plan exhibitions at the Fitzrovia Chapel, where she has participated frequently.
Image- The First Night (2015) From the series ‘The Honeymoon’. Courtesy – Juno Calypso/TJ Boulting
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