A Grateful Milestone: Nick Fraser – Chapter 1 Reviewed in Raw Vision

We’re incredibly proud and honoured to share that Nick Fraser: Chapter 1, our debut exhibition celebrating the life and work of the late visionary artist, has been reviewed in the latest issue of Raw Vision Magazine — a publication long respected as a global voice in outsider and visionary art.

This moment is a deeply meaningful one for us.

It was Raw Vision founder John Maizels who first took an interest in Nick’s work in the early '90s, giving him his first taste of recognition in a gallery setting. Over 30 years later, the magazine continues to walk beside us — now shining a light on a new chapter in the journey to honour Nick’s legacy.

Below is the full review written by Artemis van Dorssen, published in the Spring 2025 edition of Raw Vision:

NICK FRASER: CHAPTER 1

The Crypt Gallery, LondonNovember 21–23, 2024

The work of Nick Fraser (1946–2023) remained hidden for over three decades, until its November 2024 unveiling at The Crypt Gallery beneath St Pancras Parish Church in London's Euston Road.

As the exhibition name “Chapter 1” implies, this is only the start of the carving-out of the late artist's legacy, with more works waiting to be exhibited in the future.

Nostalgia sits heavily in between the bricks and canvases in the gallery tunnels, the work displayed chronicling the close relationship between the East End artist and his friend Mark O'Shaughnessy.

A short film about their creative support for each other is caught on a 1990s camcorder and projected in a cove. Their strong bond is evident in O'Shaughnessy's determination to make Fraser's work visible to the world. In the 1990s, he contacted Raw Vision's John Maizels, securing Fraser an exhibition at Notting Hill's Jane England Gallery. O'Shaughnessy's son, Marcus, has inherited his father's dedication to Fraser's art, and curated “Chapter 1” over 30 years later, and a year or so after the artist's death.

Entering The Crypt's maze, its intimate lighting forces the viewer to focus only on the artworks, obscuring anything other than the white-pupiled figures displayed on the bare brick walls. The work is often a study of masculinity, painted silhouettes with their legs spread apart, their broad shoulders and pectoral muscles encased in thick black lines. Under an arch, faces blink — one looking in a different direction, some with three eyes, all of them with veins similar to a live organism. Churns of textured lines on canvas mix with the incense that burns in the gallery. Visitors are invited to try a singing bowl, the notes vibrating through the low-lit event.

Fraser's ode to spirituality and cosmic imagery is honoured through interconnected figures, palms and groins, tracing endless circular motions. In one painting, palms are opened up and join an outstretched neck, in a suspended prayer; the sun-haloed figure trapped in its arched enclosure. It reflects the artist's commitment to creating a sanctuary for himself, painting being an outlet for his chronic arthritis after a 32-year career working in a sugar factory.

Fraser's paintings show the core of his identity, each one resembling a beating organ. Layers of dripped paint uncover his inner musings about his masculinity and vigour. The threads of the exhibition whisper in intimate arches, over cobbles, echoing its cosmic connections from figure to figure and line to line. A testament to the dedication across two generations to reveal the first chapter of Nick Fraser's visions.

Reviewed by: Artemis van Dorssen

Moving Forward with Deep Gratitude

To have Raw Vision walk this path with us — from Nick’s first steps into visibility in 1991 to this new chapter in 2024 — is more than a full-circle moment. It’s a continuation of a legacy that was always meant to be seen, shared, and celebrated.

We’re grateful for Artemis’ thoughtful words, to Raw Vision for their unwavering support, and to all of you who continue to walk alongside us. This is only the beginning of what’s to come.

Stay with us for Chapter 2.

📖 Review from the Spring 2025 issue of Raw Vision Magazine🔗 www.rawvision.com

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