A controversial art exhibition due to open in south-west London has been cancelled after concerns were raised by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) about alleged antisemitic content.

The exhibition, “Drawings Against Genocide” by Matthew Collings, had been scheduled to take place at Delta House Gallery in Wandsworth between 16 and 24 May 2026. UKLFI wrote to the gallery’s owners, Pineapple Corporation and Delta House Studios Ltd, warning that the works proposed for display appeared to include repeated antisemitic imagery and narratives.

UKLFI’s letter outlined a range of concerns, including depictions that demonised Jews and Israelis, promoted conspiracy theories about Jewish control, and drew comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany.

UKLFI pointed out that the material could potentially engage provisions under the Public Order Act 1986 and expose both the artist and the gallery to legal risks.  The gallery and its owners would also incur reputational risks.

The concerns were supported by examples drawn from Collings’ previous exhibition, also entitled “Drawings against Genocide”, held in a gallery in Margate last month, which received critical reviews.

The Telegraph review of that exhibition was headlined: “Lovely time in Margate? No, it was dripping with Jew-hate” and said: “It should be preserved in the annals of anti-Semitic propaganda alongside that of Der Stürmer.”  A Times article was headlined  “Jews are openly blood-libelled yet there’s no hate crime?” and the reviewer said:  “After visiting a grotesque exhibition at a gallery in Margate, I cannot imagine what it must be like to be Jewish in this country now”.

UKLFI’s letter expressed the view that Collings’s images and captions relied on longstanding antisemitic tropes and dehumanising portrayals.

Matthew Collings has described the  drawings for his touring “Genocide” exhibition as “a window into the Zionist lobbies connection to our government, mainstream media and the art world. The images depict individuals implicated in the genocide in Gaza.”

Collings’ drawings included images of various UK politicians, journalists and people in the art world, whom he accused of complicity in “genocide”.

One drawing shows a Jewish owner of Sotheby’s eating a baby, next to the words, “Hey look I’m selling a fantastic painting, while eating a baby alive”.  Another shows people with blood coming out of their hands and mouths, and Swastikas and Stars of David or Israeli flags are scattered around the drawing.  Many of the drawings show Jews surrounded by skulls.

Following receipt of UKLFI’s letter, the gallery owners confirmed that the exhibition would not go ahead. In an email response dated 24 April 2026, Tom Berglund, chairman of Pineapple Corporation confirmed that the exhibition had been cancelled and wrote: “We were unaware of this intention for an exhibition as it was arranged without any consultation with the owners of the artist studios at Riverside Road.”  He added “We all hope the issues on the ground in the Middle East can eventually be resolved.”

A spokesperson for UK Lawyers for Israel said: “We welcome the decision to cancel this exhibition. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but it does not extend to the promotion of material that relies on antisemitic tropes, dehumanising imagery, and conspiracy narratives about Jews.

“There is a real danger in normalising antisemitic imagery and narratives in cultural spaces. When material that demonises Jews or recycles classic antisemitic tropes is presented as legitimate artistic expression, it risks lowering the threshold for what is considered acceptable in public discourse.

At a time when Jewish communities in London and across the UK are already facing a significant rise in antisemitic incidents and attacks, it is particularly important that institutions act responsibly. The wider environment in which hatred is trivialised or excused can contribute to a climate in which such attacks become more likely.”