Exhibitions & Galleries

• Erskine, Hall & Coe
• Sokyo Gallery
• Gallery LVS
• Liverpool Street Galley
• One person shows
• Group exhibitions
  
• Archive:
  Galerie Besson
• Archive:
  Frank Lloyd Gallery

“Anita is one of those wonderful people who you imagine will continue forever, so it was a shock for me to hear from her that she planned to 'retire'. I first became aware of Anita Besson at Fischer Fine Art in the mid-80’s. I remember cycling to see the show ‘Nine Potters’ which she organized at Fischer. It was extraordinary to see an exhibition of ceramics in a fine art gallery at that time.

In 1988 I discovered that Anita was going to open her own gallery in Royal Arcade where she intended to show ceramics. Immediately I knew that I wanted to exhibit there. I was thrilled to be included in her Christmas Exhibition later that year and I’ve exhibited regularly at Galerie  Besson ever since.

Over these 23 years she has built her reputation on exhibiting only work that she loves, not work she feels she ought to show. Galerie Besson has such a particular identity. Anita has a fantastic eye and her passion for beautiful objects is almost palpable.

One of the most important things that Anita has done so consistently over the years is to introduce the work of so many outstanding international artists to London. There are too many individual artists to list here but they come from countries as far apart as Japan, Scandinavia, America and Europe and even from Russia. Her international connections have also benefited her gallery artists and I’ve travelled with Anita to Auxerre, Stockholm, Chicago and New York. She can speak five languages.

It's amazing that Anita continues to be so excited by new work. The other day, as if by magic, she pulled an exquisite lacquer container from her handbag and enthused about the Japanese maker whom she had just been introduced to. No other person I know will travel with a Coper or Rie in her bag!

I feel incredibly lucky to have exhibited my work with Anita in such a beautiful, light-flooded space in the West End since the year she opened. It’s hard to imagine the ceramic world without her. ”

JENNIFER LEE
2011