Alison Friend

Alison Friend is a British artist known for her whimsical, anthropomorphic animal portraits, combining traditional painting techniques with a distinctly British sense of humour. A graduate of Nottingham Trent University with a degree in Fine Art and Printmaking, she has also enjoyed a successful career as a children’s book illustrator, illustrating more than twenty books for publishers including HarperCollins, Nosy Crow, Hodder Children’s, Templar, Usborne, Little Tiger Press and Alfred A. Knopf. Her recent publications with Artisan include the national bestseller Dog Only Knows and her latest book, Vanity Fur.

Drawing inspiration from the techniques and rich visual language of the Old Masters, Friend creates oil paintings that bring an unmistakably human quality to her animal subjects. Her characters, often caught in moments of mischief, indulgence or quiet contemplation, combine technical precision with warmth, wit and an enduring sense of nostalgia.

Her work has attracted an international following of collectors and has been exhibited across the UK, Europe, Asia and the United States. Notable exhibitions and art fairs include Frieze Seoul, London Art Fair, Frieze Los Angeles, Art Jakarta, the British Art Fair, CONTEXT Art Miami, Manchester Art Fair, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and the Outsider Art Fair.

Friend divides her time between studios in Manchester and England’s Lake District.