According to McGee at Affordable Art Fair Hampstead 2026

YORK GALLERY 'ACCORDING TO MCGEE' SET FOR LONDON SHOW AS PART OF NEW OUTWARD-LOOKING CHAPTER

YORK art gallery According To McGee returns to business in London. Affordable Art Fair Hampstead takes place on May 6 – 10 May 2026 on beautiful Hampstead Heath, showcasing the best in contemporary art from over 100 galleries from the UK and around the world. Discover the joy of collecting art, with 1,000s of stunning artworks from £100, alongside emerging artist showcases, a spotlight on ceramics, delightful bars and cafés to unwind in and much more.

Co-director Greg McGee says the gallery has been "busy reminding ourselves why we need to celebrate art as gallerists," drawing inspiration from York Art Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Middlesbrough’s MIMA, and even Dublin’s independent art scene.

Gallery co-director Greg McGee

"The York experience can at times be a little insular, both from a purveyors and consumers’ point of view, so we’ve been getting out and coming back feeling re-energised," he notes.

Embracing this outward-looking instinct, Ails and Greg McGee have focused their energies on exhibiting at the prestigious Affordable Art Fair (AAF) Hampstead, running from May 6 to 10 on the Lower Fairground Site, Hampstead Heath, London.

Gallery co-director Ails McGee

“We wanted to stretch our curatorial wings outside of Yorkshire,” explains Ails McGee. "The Affordable Art Fair is a whole different level of quality and serious collecting. The organisers now hold fairs in thirteen cities around the world... They’re dedicated to sharing the importance of loving art, and, when possible, collecting it. On a micro-level, that’s what we do too. So we approached them and they accepted us, and we’re looking forward to exhibiting with them in Hampstead next month.”

York Artists to Lead the Way

Although this latest chapter of the gallery’s evolution is purposefully based beyond York, a trio of artists with strong links to the city will be leading their exhibition: Richard Barnes, Chantal Barnes, and Freya Horsley.

"At this stage of our career and with this specific project, it’s important for us to work closely with artists we actually personally like," says Ails. “They all have a painterly synergy that has been hugely successful for us in the past and will help steady the ship as we sail into unknown waters.”

Artist Freya Horsley

According To McGee's final exhibition after 17 years opposite Clifford’s Tower was a celebration of these three artists, presenting their latest collections.

Greg McGee clarifies that their participation is focused on celebrating contemporary painters who "relentlessly evolve, and yearn for the next chapter."

"It’s not in the nature of any of our painters, especially these three, to fossilise their output and become complacent," he states. “Their current compositions and mark making have all the experimental derring-do of white-hot graduates... You don’t get to sell as well as these artists, nor do you get invited to exhibit at a globally recognised art event such as Affordable Art Fair Hampstead, without having something exciting and relevant to say.”

New Collections for a New Audience

Freya Horsley has been working on new collections specifically for the exhibition.

“Whilst the internet makes artists and galleries increasingly global in their reach, the Affordable Art Fair is exciting because it's absolutely about seeing real artwork up close and in person," she says. "Working towards the fair has given me a really strong focus and an opportunity to make big impactful pieces as well as smaller more affordable paintings which is part of the rationale of the AAF. Alongside Richard and Chantal, I'm looking forward to showing our work to a new audience in this prestigious setting.”

Artist Richard Barnes

Richard Barnes, who moved south from York in 2020 after teaching art at Bootham School for many years, is focusing on London for his new collection.

2026 Interview with York-born painter Richard Barnes

Q: Can you tell us about the works currently on display?
Richard Barnes: The first piece is Golden Days, which measures 150 by 120 centimetres and is priced at £5,000. Alongside that are a series of smaller works, each 50 by 50 centimetres, priced at £695. These belong to my Tranquillitas series.

Tranquillitas series by Richard Barnes

Q: Your work has evolved over time—how did your artistic journey begin?
Barnes: I originally trained under some of the greats of British abstract painting. In my twenties, my work was predominantly purely abstract, very much rooted in that tradition.

Tranquillitas series by Richard Barnes

Q: These newer pieces feel both reflective and contemporary. How do they connect to your earlier work?
Barnes: These new works are really a re-exploration of ideas I was working on a lifetime ago. It’s interesting revisiting those themes now, with the benefit of time and experience.

Tranquillitas series by Richard Barnes

Q: Do you feel the context of today’s world has influenced this return?
Barnes: Absolutely. In today’s age of AI, global conflict, and the constant bombardment of 24-hour news, these ideas feel more relevant than ever. There’s something about abstraction that allows space for reflection—something we seem to need more and more.

Tranquillitas series by Richard Barnes

Chantal Barnes, Richard’s daughter, is an increasingly collectible painter, and Hampstead welcomes her back after successful previous form.

“The vigour with which Chantal pushes paint around is exciting and relevant and indicative of where contemporary painting is today,” says Greg McGee. He notes the close relationship between father and daughter: “Chantal and Richard have studios not far too apart, and sometimes they even collaborate on the same piece. There’s a wonderful synergy between the two of them... and this show is an exciting opportunity to witness that.”

Artist Chantal Barnes

Bringing 'Gold Dust' Back to York

Ails McGee is keen to build on this new chapter. “This is going to be about more than sales. The amount of global attention each Affordable Art Fair receives is simply huge, and we’re looking forward to bringing some of that gold dust back home when we relocate in York.”

Greg McGee concludes by stressing the importance of this progressive, outward-looking energy for York.

“Us looking outwards to bring back energy and calibre is what in essence a heritage city like York is obliged to do now, for all kinds of reasons,” he states. “Unless you want to become Beamish, history only works when you have one foot firmly planted in an innovative future. And rather than being a footnote in the annals of York’s creative scene, we would much prefer to be part of the future than the past.”

Affordable Art Fair Hampstead fact file

Hampstead, London 6 – 10 May 2026 We’ll be returning to the picturesque Hampstead Heath in May, bringing together the very best in contemporary art from over 100 galleries across the UK and around the world. Explore the joy of collecting in the heart of the Heath with thousands of original artworks from £100.

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