Anonymous Masterpieces on Sale at Stewarts Law RCA Secret 2017

On 9 September 2017, the Royal College of Art’s annual anonymous postcard exhibition and fundraising sale will open its doors to the public. Stewarts Law RCA Secret, which has been running for over 20 years, offers art collectors and enthusiasts the unique opportunity to buy original artworks by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, illustrators and designers, for the fixed price of just £55.

The exhibition will feature nearly 1,500 postcard-sized artworks to choose from, the only catch, or part of the fun, is that each work will be displayed anonymously, with the identity of the creator only revealed once the purchase is complete. 

Contributions from the next generation of outstanding RCA talent will be displayed alongside artworks by friends of the College and acclaimed alumni including Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Alison Wilding, Lawrence Weiner, John Baldessari, Zandra Rhodes, Paul Smith and Christopher Bailey. Although each work is uniformly postcard-sized, the approaches vary widely across subject matter and medium, with photography, collage, drawing, painting, and even sculpture included in the exhibition.

RCA Secret, now in its 23rd year, is London’s original secret postcard sale. The last two decades have seen contributions by some of the highest-selling and most collected artists in the world such as Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Jake Chapman and Anish Kapoor, giving regular visitors to Stewarts Law RCA Secret the opportunity to build a collection of works that would be the envy of the art world. All proceeds from the fundraising event go towards the RCA Fund, which provides vital scholarships to students in need of financial support to continue their studies.

This year, images of all the postcards in the exhibition will be released online from 9am on Friday 8 September, 24 hours before the exhibition opens to the public. In order to purchase a postcard, buyers must register on the RCA Secret website to obtain a buyer’s ID. The first 200 places in the queue have been allocated via an online raffle, so visitors without an allocated place are advised to arrive from 9am to avoid having to wait.

Postcards will be available to purchase throughout the exhibition, and will remain on display throughout for all visitors to the exhibition to enjoy. Purchased postcards can be collected in person on the collection day, Saturday 16 September, or posted once the exhibition has closed. 

Stewarts Law RCA Secret 2017
Royal College of Art, Dyson Building, 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AN
Exhibition & sales: 9–15 September 2017, 9am–6pm
Late openings: 11 & 15 September until 8pm
Collection day: Saturday 16 September