Drian Galleries

A single-minded woman who forged a swath through the London art scene, Halima Nalecz worked for over 40 years, jump-starting important careers. Born in Dukszty in Lithuania, she fled through war-torn Europe, living variously in Moscow, Odessa, Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, before settling in London in 1947. She trained as an artist in both London and Paris, and her work evolved from non-figurative to figurative, in a style instantly recognisable and clearly pointing to her Eastern European roots. In 1956, along with fellow artists Denis Bowen and Frank Avray Wilson, she opened the New Vision Centre near London's Marble Arch. It was specifically aimed at artists who were deemed unworthy stylistically of exhibiting their work in the prestigious Bond Street galleries and their environs. A year later, Nalecz opened the Drian Galleries, located in Porchester Place, Bayswater, thus continuing the New Vision philosophy. She gave the first big exhibitions in England to John Bellany, William Crozier, Michael Sandle, Yaacov Agam, Douglas Portway and many more emerging artists of the period. The gallery closed c.1990, although Halina Nalecz continued to paint and lived until 2008.

The New Vision Centre gallery, founded by Denis Bowen in 1956, was a London-based gallery that played a significant role in promoting international and abstract art during the post-World War II era. The gallery, co-directed by Bowen and Halima Nalecz, provided a platform for both established and emerging artists, with a focus on those from the Commonwealth and Europe. It notably showcased artists who later gained global recognition, and hosted the first exhibitions for European groups like the Italian group Forma-1 and the German Group Zero. While the gallery's impact was sometimes overlooked during its active period, it has since been recognised for its significant role in shaping British art and promoting international and abstract art. The gallery operated for a decade, closing in 1966.