This month, Shepherd’s Bush Market hosts an evocative new art exhibition by British painter Dan Coombs. Titled Figure of 8, the exhibition showcases 15 works from his ongoing Couples series – a vivid meditation on love, memory, and emotional duality.
Each painting presents a couple in a moment of intimacy – a hug, a kiss, or a shared gesture. But these scenes are anything but straightforward. Coombs applies and disrupts the image in equal measure. Thick brushwork, scraped surfaces, and abstracted textures challenge the clarity of the original form. The result is a striking push-and-pull between figuration and abstraction.
Coombs is a significant voice in contemporary British painting. Born in 1971, he studied at The Ruskin School, Oxford, and the Royal College of Art. He was awarded the prestigious Rome Scholarship in Painting and has since exhibited widely – including solo shows in London, Los Angeles, and internationally. He was also a founding tutor at Turps Banana and now leads an advanced painting programme at the Essential School of Painting in London.
This exhibition marks his first solo show in London since 2014. It’s a moment of return, reflection, and evolution – set within the unique context of Shepherd’s Bush Market.
Curated by FreddieFoulkes Gallery, the exhibition’s title Figure of 8 references the infinity symbol, suggesting continuity, balance, and eternal return. The market, long a site of exchange and human contact, becomes the perfect setting for this intimate series.
Visitors are invited to reflect, observe, and connect with the work – and with each other – in a space that’s both public and deeply personal.
10th September – 1st October:
Tuesdays: 11-3
Wednesday-Saturdays: 11-6
9th September 2025
