“I recently came across your Instagram page and was struck by your unique and surreal art style. Your paintings are full of imagination and creativity, and I can see that you take great pride in your work”. If you’re an artist then you’ve had an email with an opening line similar to this, followed by “We would love to exhibit your work in our [insert major city here] gallery”.

I’m talking about vanity galleries. The ones that charge artists hundreds (sometimes thousands) just to exhibit. At first, it might seem tempting: a chance to show your work in a city centre gallery, maybe even put the word “exhibited in Milan” on your CV. But let’s be real. If a gallery’s main income comes from artists paying to hang their own work, then it’s not a gallery, it’s a room painted white with delusions of grandeur.

True galleries take a cut of sales because they believe in the work they’re showing. They invest in promotion, curation, and connecting artists with collectors. They take a risk, admittedly it’s not always a risk as larger galleries only exhibit well known artists but that risk is what makes the relationship between artist and gallery meaningful. If the only risk is the artist’s wallet, then what’s really happening is exploitation.

These vanity spaces also create a false sense of achievement. You might walk away with a few photos of your work on a wall, but the audience is often limited made up mostly of your friends and family, the sales are rare, and the “prestige” doesn’t carry much weight in the art world. It also probably works against you as people get to know the gallery as one that charges artists.

I’ve had lots of invitations over the last few years and have seen the different angles they use. I recently submitted work for a competition which I was then shortlisted for an exhibition. The catch? I had to pay €1399.90.

If you want to show your work, there are better paths: local open calls, artist-led collectives, pop-up shows, or even organising your own exhibition in a non-traditional venue. All of these routes offer real engagement without the price tag that vanity galleries demand.

Artists deserve better than to be milked for their ambition. If a gallery is asking you for money upfront, remember: they’re not validating your art, they’re just validating their bank account.