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CLOSE, Hatch Beauchamp, Taunton TA3 6AE
Open Thursdays & Fridays 11-4pm, Saturdays 11-3pm
Or by appointment, email info@closeltd.com
www.closeltd.com

CLOSE, founded by Freeny Yianni, is a distinctive contemporary art space rooted in the Somerset landscape, with an additional project space in Marylebone. Born from Yianni’s deep commitment to working closely with artists, CLOSE has evolved into a vibrant hub for residencies, exhibitions and education, defined by curatorial sensitivity and a spirit of collaboration. The gallery works with both living artists and artist estates, offering a unique platform for thoughtful, long-form exhibitions that encourage deeper engagement. Its rural setting fosters a slower, more reflective rhythm, serving as an intentional counterpoint to the often-frenetic pace of the wider art world.

Guided by Yianni’s extensive knowledge of contemporary art history, CLOSE forges connections between local communities and international voices, championing a broad range of artistic practices. Art at CLOSE is not confined to traditional walls; it extends into the gardens and surrounding landscape, inviting visitors to pause, reflect, and connect more deeply with the work and the environment.

Curator biography

Freeny Yianni is a curator, storyteller and the founder of CLOSE, a place shaped as much by instinct as by intention. Set within a 17th-century house and estate in Somerset, CLOSE has grown into a quietly influential centre for contemporary art, one that privileges sensitivity, longevity and the deep, often unseen labour of nurturing artistic practice. Yianni, a Greek Cypriot who has lived most of her life in the UK, brings to her work a lived understanding of displacement, resilience and return. Art, for her, is always a vehicle for transformation.

Earlier this year, Yianni curated the Gilbert Bayes Award for the Royal Society of Sculptors, with the exhibition first held at TM Lighting before travelling to Wakefield, an opportunity to introduce sculpture to new contexts and audiences that continues to underpin her curatorial language. Alongside this, she serves as Co-Chair of Somerset Art Works, the charity behind Somerset Art Weeks, where her commitment extends beyond exhibition-making into advocacy. Her interest in the wellbeing, heritage and education strands of the charity’s work places her at its heart as both guide and instigator.

CLOSE represents a focused roster of artists and estates, including The Estate of Jane Harris and The Estate of Grenville Davey, relationships that span over three decades and stand as testament to Yianni’s enduring loyalty and belief in legacy. Alongside these, she works closely with artists such as Trish Morrissey, Simon Hitchens, Anna Mossman, Carali McCall, Katherine Perrins, Stewart Geddes and Toni Davey. Yianni keeps her circle intentionally lean, allowing for a depth of engagement that resists the transience of the market and instead prioritises continuity, dialogue and growth.