London, United Kingdom
Grabowski Gallery, London operated between 1959 and 1975. It was the art gallery of a Polish pharmacist, located at 84 Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London SW3. In 1962, it was the venue for Image in Revolt, a two-person exhibition of figurative paintings by two young artists, Derek Boshier and Frank Bowling. Both artists were at the time in their early to mid 20s. In the early 1960s (circa 1963) Grabowski Gallery again exhibited the work of Frank Bowling in a group show that also included the work of two other artists from Commonwealth countries: William Thomson (Canada) and Neil Stocker (Australia). Aubrey Williams, the Guyana-born British artist also had a solo exhibition at Grabowski Gallery, January 3 - 24, 1963. Three years earlier, Williams exhibited alongside Denis Bowen, Max Chapman, and Anthony Underhill, in an exhibition titled Continuum, at Grabowski Gallery in 1960.
The following summary was taken from cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18823954 (15/6/09): “Mateusz Bronislaw Grabowski (1904-1976) was a Master of Pharmacy who graduated from The University of Stefan Batory in Vilnius. He came to The Great Britain with the Polish Army in 1940. After the war had ended, he established a pharmacy and a mail-order firm in London that sent medicines to Poland, and in 1959, he opened a modem art gallery. Grabowski Gallery was situated in the artistic district of London, in Chelsea at 84, Sloane Avenue, next to the Grabowski’s Pharmacy. The thing that made the Gallery distinguishing was the fact that it did not make profit. Grabowski promoted young and unknown artists of different nationalities according to the idea of ‘the art without borders’. In Grabowski Gallery, there took place the first exhibition of ‘pop-art’ in Europe. Many of the artists who showed their works of art there became well known and important for the British Art. In the 1960’s London was the biggest centre of western art. Grabowski Gallery found its place in the top of London galleries of modem art. Famous London critics came to see the exhibits, and reviews of the exhibitions could be read in many prestigious magazines. The Gallery was the expression of the personal passion for art of its owner.”
Catalogue relating to an exhibition, 1963
Brochure relating to an exhibition, 1960
Brochure relating to an exhibition, 1963
Catalogue relating to an exhibition, 1962
Review relating to an exhibition, 1962
Solo show at Grabowski Gallery. 1963
Group show at Grabowski Gallery. 1960
Group show at Grabowski Gallery. 1962
Born, 1921 in Kimberley, South Africa. Died, 2006
Born, 1935 - 1937 (probably 1936) in British Guiana (now Guyana) Caribbean/S. America
Born, 1911 in London
Born, 1926 - 1936 (probably 1931) in Sydney, Australia
Born, 1926 in Canada