BOOK FREE TICKET
REJECTS ART EXHIBITION: A Celebration of Rejected Artworks from the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
3 – 13 July 2025
Weekdays: 11-7
Weekends:10-6
Fridays: 11-8
Stokey Pop-Up, 147 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0NY
See all artwork online HERE
Now in its third year and previously featured in The Guardian and The Art Newspaper, REJECTS is back this July with a brand new line-up of artists and artworks that didn’t make it into the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Each year around 18,000 artists apply to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition but only about 1,500 make the cut, leaving a whole lot of talent that might otherwise go unseen.
Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, and mixed media, this unapologetically defiant exhibition champions brilliant works that were overlooked by the RA selection panel. Instead of fading into the background, these 'rejects' get the spotlight they deserve and Art Friend Gallery is here to celebrate them. You might just find an artist as talented as previous rejects such as Banksy, Eìdouard Manet and Rebecca Salter!
Housed in a bright, welcoming pop-up space in the heart of Stoke Newington, this year’s exhibition showcases a fresh line-up of emerging and established artists reclaiming their space on the summer art calendar. Expect a mix of bold statements, from bright, sarcastic embroidered text to eerily beautiful abandoned buildings, there is something for everyone.
Whether you're an art collector or art curious, Art Friend welcomes everyone to the gallery.
We also have another Summer Exhibition on downstairs of Art Friend artists artworks!
Private View: Thursday 3 July, 5–10pm
Join us for drinks, DJs, and a first look at this year’s REJECTS.
Shona Bland, founder of Art Friend, says:
REJECTS isn’t just an exhibition, it’s a celebration. It highlights how much talent is out there and how many people face rejection on a daily basis, we have all been rejects once! So come join the club, route for the underdog and enjoy seeing what has slipped through the cracks.