Last updated: 27 October 2026
Gavin Turk is the conceptual artist who launched his career with a blue heritage plaque bearing his own name. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 London show, and where to buy it.
Our take on Gavin Turk
Turk’s Royal College of Art degree show in 1991 was Cave: an empty white room with a blue heritage plaque bearing his own name, according to his own site. It brought him to Charles Saatchi’s attention and to the Young British Artists.
He has kept returning to questions of authorship and the myth of the artist, through painted bronze, waxworks, rubbish cast in bronze and versions of other artists’ images.
His 2026 show at Ben Brown Fine Arts, The Escapologist, was a series of oil paintings of doors left ajar.
Gavin Turk: the essentials
- Born in Guildford, Surrey, in 1967.
- Studied at Chelsea School of Art (1986 to 1989) and the Royal College of Art (1989 to 1991).
- Public sculptures include Nail (2011) at One New Change, London, and Ariadne Wrapped (2022) in Cambridge.
- Shown by Ben Brown Fine Arts, London.
Gavin Turk exhibitions
- The Escapologist, Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, 11 March to 29 May 2026. His sixth solo show at the gallery.
- A Quotidian Life, Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, 2026.
- The Long Now: Saatchi Gallery at 40 (group), Saatchi Gallery, London.
Where to buy a Gavin Turk work
We found no Turk edition on sale at the Tate shop when we checked.
- Originals: through Ben Brown Fine Arts in London, with prices on request.
Gavin Turk FAQs
What was Gavin Turk’s Cave?
His 1991 Royal College of Art degree show: an empty room with a blue heritage plaque bearing his own name.
Where is Gavin Turk from?
Guildford, Surrey. He was born in 1967.
Which gallery shows Gavin Turk?
Ben Brown Fine Arts in London held his sixth solo show there in 2026.
What did Gavin Turk show in 2026?
The Escapologist, paintings of doors left ajar, at Ben Brown Fine Arts.
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- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting prints.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
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Main image: Gavin Turk, 2010. Photo: Jovita Valaityte (Livestockmarket) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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