Jeffrey Dennis

Jeffrey Dennis is a Senior Lecturer in the Fine Art Programme at Chelsea College of Arts, part of the University of the Arts London. His academic role involves supervising research students and teaching contemporary fine art practices. He holds a position spanning over two decades, since 2000, within the Camberwell, Chelsea, and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts.

Education: Graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 1980.

Research interests focus on urban experiences, the interplay of space and human movement, and the intersection of painting with literature and history. His work frequently explores themes of proximity, contiguity, and adjacency in urban environments, as well as the legacy of Romantic poets like John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His paintings often blend narrative fragments with structured visual elements, reflecting fragmented mental maps of daily life.

Notable exhibitions include Her Midnight Pillow (2022), Cloudy Trophies (2021), and the solo exhibition Ringbinder (2015), accompanied by a monograph. He was awarded the Abbey Fellowship in Painting (2021) to research in Rome, leading to works exhibited at the Keats-Shelley House. His works are held in prestigious collections, including the Tate and Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.

Awards and Fellowships: Abbey Fellowship in Painting (2021). Professional activities include curatorial projects, public art commissions (e.g., The Luton Host), and journal reviewing for Journal of Contemporary Painting.

Advising and Grants: Supervises UAL research students, participated in the DACS Art360 project to archive artists’ works, and engaged in residencies (e.g., Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei). Collaborations include the informal UAL research group Paint Club (2009–16).

Labs/Teams: Founded and led Paint Club, an informal research group fostering collaborative dialogue among artists and curators.