Spotlight: Errol Theunissen

Errol Theunissen’s work has steadily moved from personal necessity into public recognition. A self-taught painter and illustrator, born in Zimbabwe and now based in Middlesbrough, painting became central to his life after a motor vehicle accident left him with severe injuries and the loss of his friend Mike.

That instinctive relationship with painting continues to shape the work today. The domestic scenes that populate Theunissen’s paintings – children curled beneath blankets, dogs stretched across sofas, families gathered around the small rituals of everyday life – hold an emotional honesty that resonates deeply with viewers. They speak to safety, closeness and the experience of being held within ordinary moments.

Recent years have brought significant recognition. Theunissen’s work was selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and he has since been shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2026. His work has been included in Whitechapel Gallery’s First Thursdays programme and acquired through The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund for Manchester Art Gallery’s collection. Most recently, his painting Radio was displayed at Manchester Art Gallery alongside works by L. S. Lowry.

Recognition of this kind matters. Yet what feels most striking is the consistency of the work itself. The same tenderness that first drew us to Errol’s paintings remains. The children and animals inhabit moments of comfort and connection that are rarely depicted with such directness.

An unusual opportunity to collect the work of an artist whose voice continues to strengthen as meaningful recognition crystallises.