Meeting Sir Frank Bowling

Meeting Sir Frank Bowling

On 15 January 2026 I had the incredible privilege of meeting Sir Frank Bowling at his studio in London.

On the train there I felt strangely emotional. I was nervous but excited at the same time, giddy almost. It felt surreal knowing I was about to meet someone so important to British Art, whom I’ve admired for many years.

When I arrived, Frank’s son Ben came to meet me upstairs in the office and walked me down to the studio. Ben is a retired criminology professor and now manages much of the practical side of Frank’s career. Frank joked that his son probably knows more about his work than anyone now and that he is happy about that because it allows him to focus purely on the studio.

Sir Frank Bowling is a living legend and he has the presence of one. When we walked in, Frank was working with his assistants. There were three canvases on the go and I just sat quietly and watched for a while. It was fascinating. Frank directs everything very precisely. He tells them where lines should go, what medium to use and how to apply it with such detail, they act as extension of Frank in tune with his vision. On one canvas they were working with charcoal, paint and glue, finishing different sections under his direction. It felt as though I was having a rare glimpse into a master at work, as though I’d stepped into a documentary almost.

The assistants were lovely, very respectful and clearly had a great relationship with Sir Frank. It was obvious they enjoyed working with him and that he valued them too. Sir Frank’s grandson also works with him in the studio, something I thought was beautiful to see.

While I was watching them work, I also met Sir Frank’s wife Rachel. She came and sat with me, and we had a really nice chat. She noticed my tattoo of my late sister Bee on my forearm and asked me about it. She also asked how I learned to draw, where I live and about my own work. I told her about the portrait I had brought and explained that I made it during my residency at Watts Gallery and mentioned the Hall of Fame piece. She was very warm and welcoming.

I showed Sir Frank the original drawing I did depicting him on an antique map of Great Britain and I presented him with a print as a gift. On the back I had written a short note thanking him for paving the way for artists such as myself and many more generations through decades of work and persistence. They were genuinely moved by what I wrote, which meant a lot to me as I thought he would hear such recognition all the time. He said he would put the print up in his house, how incredible!

He spent some time looking at the drawing and said that when he was younger he tried making detailed works but never felt he could achieve something like that. He was incredibly generous about the drawing and seemed genuinely pleased. He was very warm and humble.

Afterwards we all sat and talked for a while and Frank began telling stories. Everyone in the studio was hooked listening to him. He spoke about a pop art exhibition he currently had work in in France and laughed about how people now describe him as a pop artist. He said that when he was younger in the 1960s and 70s they used to laugh at him.

He spoke about his children as well. You could tell how proud he is of them. He talked about music, filmmaking and the ambitions he once had for his late son, who had been a very talented musician.

What struck me most was how open he was. There was no sense of ego at all. He spoke honestly about how difficult things had been earlier in his career and how he simply kept going because he needed to make the work for himself.

At one point he laughed about how vain he had been when he was young. He has a great memory and can tell a story that takes you back in time.

Something else that really stayed with me was the atmosphere in the studio. Everyone treated Frank with a lot of respect and care but in a very natural way. Frank also spoke about how much he enjoys working with them and how grateful he is to have them around. His grandson was clearly proud of him too and knew a lot about his work. It was quite moving seeing three generations connected around the studio.

Seeing someone who is ninety one years old still making art, still curious and still passionate about the work is very special. Sir Frank told me he used to be in the studio every single day, even weekends, for years, even now he is working Monday to Friday.

Watching him work like that was genuinely inspiring. That is the dream really. To still be making work at that age, surrounded by people you care about, doing the thing you love.