The Pastel Society, 126th Annual Exhibition, BENCHMARK

Art ExhibitionSoft Pastel contestContemporary Art

Feb 4

Once again, the annual exhibition of the Pastel Society of the UK was held in London this January. This event is, in my humble opinion, currently one of the best dry pastel exhibitions and competitions in the world.

Hundreds of Soft Pastel artists or painters using other dry techniques presented their works hoping to be selected in this wonderful art and cultural event. The Soft pastel technique stops being considered a minor technique to become the protagonist, and shines with its own light in the walls of the Mall Galleries, in London.

A view of the exhibition, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

Visitors at the Exhibition of the Pastel society, Mall Galleries, London 2025

Several works of the exhibition, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

In its 126th Annual edition, contemporary art, abstract works, realist paintings, classical art, and many new emerging artists, who are understanding and developing the possibilities offered by this medium, are grouped together in the same space.

In this edition, a total of 382 works by various artists could be seen, mostly from England, though also from other countries. The best thing about attending or taking part in this type of exhibition (and especially the Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society) is being able to enjoy immense talent and a wide, uncommon diversity around the pastel technique.

*Café des Sports* by Laurence Carmichael, Mall Galleries, Pastel society, London 2025

*Still Life with Gladioli* by Patricia Clements, Mall Galleries, London 2025

Soft Pastel is, undoubtedly, much more than what it is usually thought to be.

Pastels can be mixed with pencils, with watercolours, applied on various types of paper, on rigid surfaces such as prepared wood or even on fabric. Pastels can be turned into powder and mixed with water, diluted, or applied as a paste. All this versatility makes it a very versatile artistic instrument, without leaving aside the power of color. This is a key characteristic of the pastel medium, as the bar of pure pigment it is.

*In the Night Garden,* by Felicity Talman, Mall Galleries, London 2025, Unison Young Artist Award

This exhibition features works in many different typologies of pastel, including soft and dry pastel, hard and powdered pastel, pastel pencils, oil pastel, and other types of dry media, such as pencil, sanguine crayons or charcoal.

As Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, Graphic Arts Curator of the Musée d'Orsay's Pastel Exhibition, held in 2023, stated in said event, "Neither drawing nor painting, pastel is a unique art providing an immediate relationship with the material Composed of pure pigments, it remains in suspension on the paper’s or canvas’ grain."

*Kitchen Top* by Halla Shafey PSA PS, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Saturday Morning* by Halla Shafey PSA PS, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Still Life with Hyniscus* by Halla Shafey PSA PS, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Red Shed* by Jill Jeffrey, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Rhosneigr* by Jill Jeffrey PS, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Across Kishorn* by Jill Jeffrey PS, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Exoticerotic* by Simon Klein, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Visionary* by Simon Klein, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Fragile* by Simon Klein, Mall Galleries, London 2025. ©Mall Galeries/The Pastel Society

*Nude in front of Fireplace* by Anthony Eyton RA Hon PS, Mall Galleries, London 2025

Several works by Caroline Bays PS (right) and Angela A` Court PS(left), Mall Galleries, Pastel Society Exhibition, London 2025

*Dawn on the Marshes* by Cheryl Culver PPPS RBA, Mall Galleries, London 2025

As every year, various prizes were awarded in this year's Pastel Society Exhibition. The 'Frank Herring Award' (won by David Brammeld), the 'Henri Roche Award' (won by Tanya Avchinnikova PS), the 'Unison Award', the 'Pastel Society Winner', (Simon Klein), the 'Caran D´Ache prize' (won by Sheila Goodman) or Mamut Pastels' very own 'Mamut Award', which this year was won by the artist Jeannette Hayes PPPS, with her work Ringdale Walk.