Claridge’s and the Royal Academy Schools have announced details of Harmony, a major new commission by Jame St Findlay, winner of the 2024 Claridge’s Royal Academy Schools Art Prize. The exhibition will run from September 1– 28 and will take place in the former Claridge’s ArtSpace in Mayfair, now Perrotin London. The space has been generously made available through the gallery’s ongoing collaboration with Claridge’s.
Now in its second year, the Claridge’s Royal Academy Schools Art Prize supports emerging artists at a pivotal stage in their careers, awarding £30,000 and the opportunity to realise a solo exhibition in London. St Findlay was selected for the award by judges Ryan Gander RA and Oona Grimes RA.
Jame St Findlay is a 2024 graduate of the Royal Academy Schools. By then, their work had already won acclaim following solo exhibitions at Lucas Gallery, Glasshouse Projects at Gathering London and Celine Gallery in Glasgow. In 2023, they were selected for New Contemporaries and exhibited at The Grundy, Hull and Camden Art Centre, London.
St. Findlay is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses film, sound, sculpture, and image-making. Their work is centred around themes of collapse, using humour and melodrama as a tonic for misery. St. Findlay’s work, when placed in a space, becomes an immersive experience, which, in its creation, turns the room into a piece itself.
Working from a queer perspective, notions of normality are unpacked, interrogated, and pushed to the breaking point within St. Findlay’s practice. Their works have been exhibited at the Camden Arts Centre (2023) and in solo exhibitions at Gathering Space (2024) and Luca’s Gallery (2023), London, as well as Celine (2022) and 16 Nicholson Street (2019), Glasgow.
Inspired by the idea of a “mono-pine” (a mobile phone mast disguised as a tree), St. Findlay’s new commission, Harmony, explores the subtle ways systems, services and routines shape our lives, and the unease that can come with excessive optimisation. St. Findlay employs familiar visuals, such as filing boxes, suit jackets, and business jargon, to create a sleek, ordered environment that slowly unravels, revealing cracks in the illusion of control and productivity.
At the heart of the show is a new film centred on a “targeted individual,” someone who believes they’re being secretly surveilled or attacked with sound waves, a growing subculture amplified by social media. Through this narrative, St. Findlay explores modern paranoia, ritualistic coping behaviours and the fine line between reality and conspiracy, blending references to music, entertainment and the desire to escape.
Two historic Mayfair institutions, Claridge’s and the Royal Academy Schools, are united by a shared commitment to creativity and excellence. Together, they support emerging artists at a time when rising higher education fees and studio costs in London make artistic careers increasingly difficult to sustain. The inaugural Claridge’s Royal Academy Schools Art Prize recipient, Daria Blum, has since exhibited her work at Tate Modern, underscoring the initiative’s impact as a powerful springboard for early-career talent.
A panel of judges will select Claridge’s third winner of the Claridge’s Royal Academy Schools Art Prize during the RA Schools Show 2025. The winner will be announced at an event at Claridge’s on 30 September 2025.
Jame St Findlay, A Royal Academy Schools graduate, Jame St Findlay (b: 1994, Scotland) previously studied at Edinburgh College of Art. St Findlay’s disciplinary work is centred around themes of collapse, cosplaying as the late-capitalist heterosexual everyman, using humour and melodrama as a tonic for misery.
Claridge’s, at the heart of London, is operated by Maybourne and embodies grand English style, timeless glamour, and intuitive, highly tailored service. It is London’s jewel and home to elegant rooms and suites. From London’s afternoon tea in The Foyer to vintage champagnes at Claridge’s The Fumoir, and bespoke cocktails at The Painter’s, all are part of the hotel’s splendour and charm.
The Royal Academy Schools is an independent school of contemporary art that offers up to 17 students each year the opportunity to participate in a free, three-year, postgraduate programme. Founded in 1769, the RA Schools remain independent to this day. This independence enables the postgraduate programme to adapt to the individual needs of each student constantly. Discussion and debate are fueled by a variety of lectures, artist talks, group critiques, and tutorials given by leading contemporary artists, Royal Academicians, critics, writers, and theorists. Graduates of the RA Schools have made significant contributions to art and culture in the UK and internationally through their art practice, education, research, curatorial work, and collaborations. Stretching back to 1769, graduates include William Blake and JMW Turner, as well as living artists such as Lynnette Yiadom-Boakye, Michael Armitage RA, Eddie Peake, Prem Sahib, Rebecca Ackroyd, Kobby Adi, and Ayo Akingbade, who exemplify the range of recent graduates.
The Royal Academy of Arts was founded by King George III in 1768. It holds a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects, whose purpose is to be a clear and strong voice for art and artists. Its public programme promotes the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate. The Royal Academy is an independent charity. It does not receive revenue funding from the government, so it is reliant upon the support of its visitors, donors, sponsors, patrons, and loyal Friends. www.royalacademy.org.uk
The Claridge Academy Schools Art Prize. Now in its second year, the Claridge’s Academy Schools Art Prize supports emerging artists at a pivotal stage in their careers, awarding £30,000 and the opportunity to realise a solo exhibition in London. Jame St Findlay was selected by judges Ryan Gander RA and Oona Grimes RA
during the 2024 Royal Academy Schools Show. The inaugural Royal Academy Schools Art Prize recipient, Daria Blum, has since exhibited her work at Tate Modern, underscoring the initiative’s role as a powerful springboard for early-career talent.
Jame St Findlay: Harmony September 1 – 28, 2025 Perrotin London, Claridge’s Street, London W1K 4HR
Opening Times: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm. Admission to the exhibition is free