Topolski Studio

Feliks Topolski is one of the foremost British-Polish artists of the 20th Century. Best known for his reportage work, for most of his career the artist worked from a studio located inside one of the arches underneath Hungerford Bridge next to the Southbank Centre, now maintained by his family as a studio and archive that pays tribute to his life and work.

Feliks Topolski was a prolific expressionist painter and draughtsman who also worked as an official war artist during World War II. Later he travelled the world sharing reportage illustrations and in addition to painting canvases, he also worked as a theatre set designer.

From his studio space in the South Bank, Topolski worked on his monumental art commissions, such as the epic panorama capturing the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II that is on display in Buckingham Palace, as well as producing his own bi-monthly broadsheet Topolski’s Chronicle, published between 1953 and 1979.

The studio was also a meeting place for artists, activists, revolutionaries, punks and princes, whom the prolific portraitist captured on paper and canvas, and every Friday for many years the artist operated an open door policy inviting the public to come in, chat, share ideas and see his latest work.

Nowadays the studio is used as an archive space and regularly hosts art events and classes such as zine-making workshops and life-drawing classes, as well as twice-monthly guided tours.

Wednesday Life Drawing at Topolski Studio

On Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm gather your art materials and join a life drawing session. The Wednesday sessions offer a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in which to practice your drawing techniques with a life model and optional tuition. The studio is equipped with materials including charcoal, pencils and pastels. Find out more here.