start the meter

a black cab.

a personal mission.

a moving work of art.

Cab Gallery began at a pivotal moment in my life. After years running successful restaurants, I made an unexpected shift: I walked away from the hospitality world to train as a London taxi driver. What I was really after wasn’t just a new profession — it was independence, focus, and the space to grow my private collection of art, letters, and manuscripts. During the four intense years of learning The Knowledge, the idea struck: this black cab I was training to drive — this ordinary, utilitarian box on wheels — could become something much more. A mobile gallery. A space for experimentation, discovery, and connection. Though I was outside the gallery system, I was deeply curious and eager to learn. Partnering with London art dealer Paul Stolper as co-curator, I launched Cab Gallery in 1999. There were no sales, no commissions, and no funding. No one involved was ever paid. It was a project powered entirely by passion.

how it worked

The gallery was housed in a fully operational black cab, transformed into a roving exhibition space that ran from 1999 to 2001. Artists—both emerging and established—were invited to create site-specific works designed for the unique confines of the taxi. Every detail was considered: the dimensions of the tip-up seats, the interior spaces, even the exterior panels. Some artists created sound pieces; others produced free-standing works or took over the bodywork itself.

Cab Gallery officially launched in Hoxton Square in September 1999. When not in service as a hire vehicle, the cab appeared at galleries and special events, giving artists the freedom to push their installations even further.

Each visitor received a custom-designed Cab Gallery receipt, listing participating artists and contact information—turning a functional object into a piece of outreach.

To meet regulatory standards, any works installed on the tip-up seats or exterior body were approved by the Cab Advertising Committee at the Public Carriage Office. Even in its most experimental moments, the gallery remained firmly embedded in the structure of city life.

legacy

What started as a personal project gained unexpected momentum. Cab Gallery captured the imagination of the public and press alike, with coverage stretching far beyond London — from national newspapers to international features as far away as Finland, Australia and the USA.

Though it ran for just over two years, the project left a lasting mark. Cab Gallery is now part of the Chelsea Collection and Archive at the Chelsea College of Arts, where its story continues to be shared.

— Jason Brown / Founder, Cab Gallery.

mind the hype.

We were genuinely surprised — and thrilled — by how much attention Cab Gallery received. Here are just a few of the standout media features that stretched past London to cross the globe.