Last updated: 27 October 2026
Fiona Rae is the London painter who showed in Freeze and was shortlisted for the 1991 Turner Prize. Here you will find our take on her work, where to see it and where to buy.
Our take on Fiona Rae
Rae was one of the Goldsmiths students in Freeze in 1988, and three years later she was shortlisted for the 1991 Turner Prize, alongside Ian Davenport and Rachel Whiteread.
Her paintings pile loose brushwork, flat graphic shapes and pop-culture marks into one surface. Writing in 1996, she said of one effect: “This gives a sense of unease, it’s as if the very fabric of the painting could also be its undoing.”
You can see Untitled (emergency room) (1996) for free in the collection galleries at Tate Britain.
Fiona Rae: the essentials
- Born in Hong Kong in 1963. Lives and works in London.
- Studied at Croydon College of Art and at Goldsmiths College (1984 to 1987).
- Elected a Royal Academician in 2002. The Royal Academy calls her the first female Professor of Painting at the RA Schools (2011 to 2015).
- Shown by Galerie Nathalie Obadia in Paris and Brussels, and Miles McEnery Gallery in New York.
Fiona Rae exhibitions
- Untitled (emergency room) (1996), on display at Tate Britain, London. Free.
- Vista, Es Baluard Museu d’Art Contemporani de Palma, Mallorca, 30 January to 23 August 2026. Her first solo show in Spain.
- Ensemble, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris, 6 September to 25 October 2025.
Where to buy Fiona Rae prints and books
Her originals sell through her galleries, with prices on request.
- Signed print: We Are All Fuzzy Robots (2011), a signed and numbered giclée, 61 x 44 cm (24 x 17.3 in), £500 at the Tate shop.
- Book: Fiona Rae: Row Paintings, hardback, 56 pages, £22.50.
Fiona Rae FAQs
Was Fiona Rae in Freeze?
Yes. She showed in Freeze, the 1988 Goldsmiths student show in the London Docklands.
Did Fiona Rae win the Turner Prize?
No. She was shortlisted in 1991, the year Anish Kapoor won.
Where can I see a Fiona Rae painting in London?
Untitled (emergency room) (1996) is on display at Tate Britain, and entry to the collection galleries is free.
Is Fiona Rae a Royal Academician?
Yes. She was elected in 2002.
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Main image: Fiona Rae in her studio, London, 2022. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd, courtesy Miles McEnery Gallery. Framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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