Join us for the private view of the latest Club Lounge exhibition, “BEHIND BARS: Frank Norman’s Prison Paintings Rediscovered”—a striking collection of raw and evocative artworks created by Frank Norman during his time in prison in the 1950s and following his release.
Norman, best known for his acclaimed prison memoir Bang to Rights and the smash-hit musical Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be, discovered painting while behind bars, immersing himself in art classes and art books from the prison library. He developed a personal style built around the Soho that he loved with echoes of Picasso and Toulouse Lautrec. These rarely seen works capture the intensity of his prison experience—vibrant portraits, stark interiors, and figurative works that reflect both confinement and imaginative escape.
This exhibition coincides with a special show at The French House, featuring Jeffrey Bernard’s photographs of Soho in the 1960s, originally published in Soho Night and Day by Norman, a love letter to the bohemian world he became part of on the outside.
Spaces are limited for the private view so please RSVP below to confirm attendance as soon as possible.
Please click here to view the press release for the show.
