Four Works by Jane Harris Acquired by the British Museum

CLOSE Gallery is delighted to announce that four works by British artist Jane Harris (1956–2022) have been acquired by the British Museum, marking a significant milestone in the recognition of her distinctive contribution to contemporary abstraction.

Spanning 2005 to 2012, the four works demonstrate Harris’s sustained exploration of geometric form, repetition, colour and perception. Through watercolour, graphite and pencil on paper, she developed a visual language that is at once rigorous and fluid, balancing carefully constructed patterns with subtle shifts in tone, texture and movement.

Harris’s compositions often centre on the ellipse, a recurring motif through which she explored the relationship between structure and spontaneity. Repeated shapes overlap, expand and contract, creating a sense of rhythm that changes as the viewer looks more closely. Her work rewards sustained attention, revealing the complexity and sensitivity beneath its apparent simplicity.

The acquisition includes 7 : 8 (2005), a watercolour; Chorus Drawing No. 2 (2006), a pencil drawing; and two watercolour and graphite studies, Study 631 and Study 637 (both 2012). Together, these works offer an insight into Harris’s enduring investigation of form and the expressive possibilities of working on paper.

CLOSE Gallery represents the Estate of Jane Harris, with founder and creative director Freeny Yianni having worked with the artist during her time at Lisson Gallery and represented her since 2019. The gallery continues to champion Harris’s work and legacy.

Recent presentations have included The Fugitives at CLOSE Gallery in Somerset and Aloof at CLOSE Project Space in London in 2025, alongside the exhibition Jane Harris: Paintings and Drawings at FRAC-Artothèque Nouvelle-Aquitaine in Limoges, France. These exhibitions have continued to bring attention to the breadth of Harris’s practice, from her paintings to her intricate works on paper.

The British Museum acquisition is a welcome recognition of an artist whose work continues to invite close looking and fresh interpretation. CLOSE Gallery is proud to celebrate this moment and to see four works by Jane Harris enter the collection of one of the world’s leading museums.

Explore Jane Harris’s work: View the artist’s page at CLOSE Gallery.

Discover the British Museum collection: Jane Harris at the British Museum.

27 Oct 2026