In the first half of 2026, Klein Editions took some of our major artists to two significant international art fairs for the first time - London Art Fair in January, and Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary in March. Two shows, two continents, every work produced, framed and finished in our Manchester studio.
Here's where we've been, and what we brought with us.
London Art Fair - January 2026
January marked Klein's debut at the London Art Fair, held at the Business Design Centre in Islington. We were shortlisted for the Best Newcomer Stand award - recognition we didn't take for granted, and that set the tone for the year.
"Being selected reflects the strength and thoughtfulness of your presentations, and the care you brought to your stand was noted throughout the judging process." — Vala Bjork, Gallery Relations Manager, London Art Fair
Every original and printed edition on the stand was produced, framed and finished in-house in Manchester by our studio team. David's curation, Katherine's photography and printing, Jayson's mounting and framing - this is what it takes to get work to the wall.
The Business Design Centre drew serious collectors and informed buyers. It was exactly the kind of engagement we'd hoped for – extended conversations about the work, the artists and the ideas behind it, and a strong showing of sales across the stand.
Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary - March 2026
Palm Beach was a deliberate move into the US market.
Lincoln Townley's original Banker paintings were shown on the stand, each framed in-house in Manchester before being carefully crated and shipped across the Atlantic to arrive safely in Florida. New collector relationships were established, and existing collectors travelled down to meet us from Miami and Boston. The US team were extremely welcoming - it won't be our last appearance in Florida.
The Artists
Alison Friend
British artist known for her whimsical, anthropomorphic animal portraits - oil paintings that combine the timeless techniques of the Old Masters with a playful contemporary twist, capturing the human-like antics of cats and dogs. A graduate of Nottingham Trent University in Fine Art and Printmaking, and an accomplished children's book illustrator with over twenty titles published by the likes of Harper Collins, Alfred Knopf and Artisan. Her distinctive style has attracted collectors worldwide, with exhibitions across the UK, the US and beyond. Editions printed, framed and drop-shipped by Klein.
Lincoln Townley
Contemporary British painter whose work occupies a hybrid space between abstraction and figuration, interrogating the psychology of power, ambition and sacrifice. His figures - frequently associated with the archetype of the Banker - function as contemporary symbols of authority and financial dominion, embodying the desire, volatility and moral ambiguity that define twenty-first century life. The dialogue with Francis Bacon is both unavoidable and intentional. Shown at Palazzo Bembo during the Venice Biennale, the Saatchi Gallery, and The Armory Show New York. All major presentations framed by Klein.
Jack Carden
Painter and creative director who refuses the art world's instruction manual. His large-scale works in oil, acrylic, ink and watercolour - skeletal figures, horses, text-dense surfaces - are a raw visual outcry, confrontational yet eerily recognisable. Original paintings shown with Klein at London Art Fair 2026; limited-edition prints produced by Klein.
Jennifer Muntz
Fourth-generation painter and direct descendant of Laura Muntz-Lyall and Elizabeth Wood Muntz, who exhibited alongside Hepworth and Moore. Luminous oil and acrylic landscapes with a devoted following and a growing waiting list for new work. Previously shown with Klein at Manchester Art Fair; editions produced by Klein, with more fair appearances to follow later in 2026.
Jen Orpin
Painter whose monumental depictions of motorway infrastructure have earned three consecutive Royal Academy Summer Show selections and places in the permanent collections of Manchester Art Gallery and New Art Gallery Walsall. Her canvases strip these familiar structures of human traffic, leaving only concrete, tarmac and the graffiti that colonises them over time - brutalist forms rendered with unexpected emotional weight. Solo exhibitions across the UK and in Seoul; work featured in the Guardian, the Observer and on BBC Radio 6 Music. Joining Klein's fair programme for future exhibitions.
What's Ahead
The programme ahead is the most ambitious Klein has set. Applications are in for major international fairs for the rest of 2026 and 2027. We'll announce confirmations as they come in.
To discuss working with Klein - photography, printing, framing, drop shipping, or artist representation - get in touch at info@kleineditions.com.
