Royal Academicians
World-leading artists and architects
Royal Academicians
Collectively, our Academicians make up some of the greatest names in contemporary art and architecture.
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Meet the Royal Academicians
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All of the Royal Academicians (RAs) are practising artists who help steer our vision, support our activities and plan for the future. Each Academician is elected by their peers in one of four categories: Painter, Sculptor, Architect and Printmaker.
At any one time there are no more than 100 RAs. They are all practicing professional artists who work in the UK. Of these 100, there must always be at least 14 Sculptors, 12 Architects and 8 Printmakers; the rest are all Painters. When an Academician reaches the age of 75, they become a Senior Academician. Royal Academicians can elect artists from outside the UK as Honorary RAs. Honorary Fellows and Honorary Members, eminent individuals from beyond the art world, are nominated by the President, with the approval of Council, and the sanction of the General Assembly.
We have 11 committees which make important decisions about our activities, from Learning to Finance. Academicians sit on all of these committees, meaning practising artists and architects are deeply involved in our day-to-day running and strategy.
All RAs are entitled to exhibit up to six works in the annual Summer Exhibition, and they also have the opportunity to show their work in small solo exhibitions in our other galleries. Many of the RAs are also involved in teaching at the RA Schools and giving lectures as part of the RA Learning Programme.
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Because it's run by artists, the RA is never going to become a cosy old club. There will always be somebody who sees it as their duty to rebel. That's what artists do: we're contrarians.
Grayson Perry RA
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Find past artists of the RA
Artists and authors, sitters and students.
From founding member Joshua Reynolds PRA to the students creating work in the RA Schools today.
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Honorary Royal Academicians
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Honorary Fellows and Members
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Honorary Fellows
Svetlana Alpers (2014)
Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE FRS (1992)
Alan Bennett (2000)
Prof Sir Timothy Berners Lee OM (2020) Prof Sir Quentin Blake CBE RDI (2001)
Alfred Brendel Hon KBE (2009)
Dame Antonia S Byatt DBE FRSL (2009)
Dr Richard Cork (2011)
The Duke of Devonshire KCVO CBE (2016)
Edward Fox OBE (1993)
Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, FMedSci (2021) Agnes Gund (2016) Sir Nicholas Hytner (2014)
Hisham Matar (2021)
Pierre Rosenberg (2000)
Prof Joseph Rykwert (2011)
Zadie Smith (2020)
Sir John Tusa (2011)
Marina Warner DBE FBA FRSL (2018)
Jeanette Winterson OBE (2011) Ngaire Woods (2022) -
Honorary Members
Chaplain
The Revd Lucy Winkett (2010)Professor of Ancient History
Prof Sir John Boardman FBA (1989)Professor of Ancient Literature
Prof Dame Mary Beard OBE (2013)Antiquary
James Fenton (2002)Professor of Architectural History
Sir Charles Saumarez Smith (2019)Professor of Chemistry
Dr Bronwyn Ormsby (2019)Professor of History of Art
Prof Dawn Ades CBE FBA (2008)Professor of Law
The Rt Hon Sir Alan Moses (2006)Professor of Painting
Lubaina Himid RA (2020) -
Professor of Sculpture
Mike Nelson RA (2019)Secretary for Foreign Correspondence
The Lord Ricketts of Shortlands GCMG GCVO (2018)Professor of Perspective
Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press RA Elect (2020)Eranda Professor of Drawing
Alison Wilding OBE RA (2020)Corresponding Members Sir Simon Robertson (2008) Scott Mead (2019)
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How Academicians are elected
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Nomination
In theory, anyone is eligible to become an RA, as long as they are under 75 and professionally active as an artist or architect in the UK. Potential new RAs are first nominated by an existing Academician, who writes their name in the weighty Nominations Book (pictured open above). Signatures must then be elicited from eight other RAs in support of the nomination. At this stage the nominee becomes a candidate.
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Voting
In March, May and December each year, all the Academicians meet at a General Assembly to vote in new Members from the list of candidates. There is no postal voting, so this is done entirely in person. Previously, RAs would place marble or wooden balls into a ballot box (pictured above). It is still used as table decoration. Vacancies are only created when an RA reaches the age of 75 and becomes a Senior Academician or on the death of an RA. The Academy Laws specify that there can be up to a maximum of 100 Royal Academicians at any one time, so there are usually only one or two new members voted in each year.
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Election
The newly elected Royal Academician attends a meeting of Council to go through a short traditional ceremony, when the terms of obligation are read out. They then receive their medal and sign the Roll of Obligation, which includes the signatures of every Academician since our founding in 1768. Once they have donated a work, known as a Diploma Work, to our Collection, they receive their Diploma, signed by the sovereign.
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The four Officers
President of the Royal Academy
Our Presidents are always elected by their fellow Academicians. It is rare for a President’s election to be opposed, although John Everett Millais’ election in the 19th century was opposed by one vote – his own! Our rules dictate that the President must be under 75 and cannot be in office for more than 10 consecutive years. Generally impartial, the President can summon the Council and General Assemblies, but only vote on matters when votes are tied. The President is our formal representative and takes the lead on our fundraising efforts to secure the future of the RA.
The current President is Rebecca Salter PRA. She was elected in December 2019.
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Keeper
The current Keeper of the RA Schools is Cathie Pilkington RA.
A role totally unique to the Royal Academy, the Keeper is responsible for our art school, the RA Schools. Elected from among our RAs, the Keeper makes sure we continue to deliver the highest standards of teaching and academic performance. We give every Keeper their own studio space here at the RA so they can continue creating their own work. They can serve up to three consecutive three-year terms.
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Secretary and Chief Executive
The current Secretary and Chief Executive is Axel Rüger.
The Secretary and Chief Executive is appointed to direct and oversee the work and output of the RA, safeguarding its cultural significance and operations, including all aspects of our administration. The Secretary and Chief Executive is also the only Officer who is not a Royal Academician.
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Treasurer
The current Treasurer is Peter St John (Adam Caruso and Peter St John RA).
The Treasurer of the Royal Academy is elected by ballot for a three-year term, normally from RAs who have served a minimum of five years. The Treasurer acts as the formal representative of the Academicians on all matters concerning finance. Peter St John began his role as Treasurer on 1 November 2020 becoming the 31st Academician to hold this office.
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Council
Made up of 13 RAs, Council is a committee that is responsible for the direction and management of every major aspect of the Royal Academy. The Four Officers also attend each meeting. Various Committees report to Council on each area of the RA’s activities and recommend policy. The current committees cover Architecture, Collections & Library, Audit, Finance, Exhibitions, Learning, Schools and Works. An RA, appointed by the Council, presides over each committee. They are helped by a senior member of staff from that department, as well as other staff, a number of Academicians and up to four external members.
The RAs that sit on Council consist of four Members who are elected annually by the General Assembly to serve a two-year term, six members selected by rotation, and three newly elected Academicians, appointed to sit on the Council for their first year. In addition, three External Members who are not RAs are approved by Council and General Assembly and appointed for a term of two years in order to provide expert professional advice. The RAs who sit on Council each year delegate the direction and management of the Summer Exhibition to the Summer Exhibition Committee, which consists of 13 Academicians, and is chaired by the President.
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