Discover the Soho House Art Collection with Soho Art House

From David Shrigley’s banana pool design at Brighton Beach House and Eric Uhlir’s 100-foot wraparound painting in Soho House West Hollywood to the Guerrilla Girls’ iconic ‘Dearest Art Collector’ at Soho House New York, the artworks found across our Houses each reflect a unique story shaped by their members and surroundings. Together, they form a museum collection hiding in plain sight among the restaurants, bedrooms and social spaces of our global clubs.  

Spanning 19 countries and more than 11,000 artworks, the Soho House Art Collection is one of the largest of its kind. Now, for the first time, its full scope is documented in Soho Art House, a new book written and edited by Soho House Chief Art Director Kate Bryan. Through essays, conversations and photography, it explores the breadth of the collection, taking readers to London, Berlin, Mexico City, Mumbai and the shores of Garraf. 

As curator and custodian of the collection for the past decade, Bryan is uniquely placed to chart its evolution. Reflecting Soho House’s relationship with the creative community, the book also invites 12 leading cultural figures to select and discuss favourite works from their local House. Contributors include Neue Nationalgalerie director Klaus Biesenbach writing on Damien Hirst, whose work can be found across several Houses, including Soho House Berlin, and novelist Helen Fielding reflecting on Harland Miller, whose pieces appear at Soho House 40 Greek Street and beyond. 

Beautifully produced and richly illustrated, the cloth-bound book shares the story of a collection built through an approach inspired by the legendary French hotel La Colombe d’Or, where artists and writers famously exchanged artworks for meals or accommodation. 

That same spirit continues to shape the collection today. Over the years, artists have been invited to contribute works and become part of a global creative network. The result is a dynamic mix of internationally renowned names and emerging talent, bringing together artists including Rashid Johnson, Tracey Emin, Catherine Opie and Bharti Kher, alongside Rene Matić, Cornelius Tulloch and Francesco Gioacchini. 
Within its pages, Bryan also moderates a conversation between Soho House founder Nick Jones, artist Jonathan Yeo – who first conceived the collection – and writer, curator and early collaborator Francesca Gavin. Together, they reflect on the collection’s origins, tracing its journey from a simple invitation to local artists to a network that now spans 50 Houses across the world. 

What sets the Soho House Art Collection apart is its commitment to locality. In her introductory essay, Bryan explores an approach that sees each House shaped by artists who were born, based or trained in the region. As a result, every location develops its own distinct identity that celebrates the creative voices of its community and setting. Little House Balham, for example, focuses exclusively on artists from south of the Thames, while Soho House Bangkok showcases work by 33 artists born or based in Thailand. 

Elsewhere in the book, Jennifer Higgie examines the legacy of Surrealism and its influence on the collection, drawing on works by artists including Charlotte Edey at Electric House, and Elizabeth Glaessner at Soho House Austin. Ferren Gipson explores the prominence of textile-based practices, including work by Tschabalala Self in Soho Warehouse and Celeste in Soho House Mexico City. Alastair Sooke considers the role of photography and features pieces by artists such as Olafur Eliasson in Berlin Soho House and Ming Smith in Soho Beach House. Suzanne Hudson reflects on the resurgence of figurative painting and its place within the wider collection today, looking various painters in the collection including Anna Bjerger in Soho House Stockholm and Chidy Wayne at Barcelona Pool House.  
 
Soho Art House is out now. Written and edited by Kate Bryan. Foreword by Andrew Carnie. Texts by Kate Bryan, Ferren Gipson, Jennifer Higgie, Suzanne Hudson and Alistair Sooke.