Molasses House was established in 2021 by Barrie Woolston following the pandemic, with the aim of offering an alternative to the corporatized gallery model.

With a relationship-first model—both with collectors and the artists on its roster—Molasses House fosters a welcoming atmosphere that invites both avid collectors and those brand new to the art world to explore the work of a dynamic range of contemporary artists, from the Film Noir-inspired compositions of Jack Vettriano to the stylized sculptures of Alastair Gibson.

Recently marking its fourth anniversary, we reached out to Woolston to learn more about what it was like opening a gallery and building his program from scratch, and which artist is currently capturing his and collectors’ attention.

Can you give us some insight into your background, and what first inspired you to establish Molasses House?

Over the past 35 years in international corporate roles, I collected and occasionally sold pieces, often to fund other acquisitions. My tastes are eclectic; therefore, I met a diverse selection of gallerists from around the world. Post-Covid, I decided to take the best of breed from my experiences and open a gallery—bold, brave, and irresponsible in equal measure! The benefit of a blank canvas meant I had no legacy to protect, but crucially no client base or artists to represent. However, Molasses House was born in July 2021, offering a selection of my own art and works by Tommy Fiendish, whom I met at a London art fair, along with other notable artists: Hannah Nijsten, Alastair Gibson, and Mark Sloper (aka Mark Illuminati). Four years later, Molasses House proudly represents over a dozen artists and has a personal relationship with each and every one.

Lincoln Townley, Bacon’s Infinite Reflections (2025). Courtesy of Molasses House.

How would you describe the core mission or ethos of the gallery?

The gallery is intentionally small, placing strong emphasis on nurturing long-term client and artist relationships. From my own personal experience as a client, I believe building a relaxed and inviting rapport with art buyers, seasoned collectors, and those new to the art world is essential. Most people feel apprehensive about entering galleries, worried about their perceived lack of knowledge regarding artists, techniques, or art history. At Molasses House, the team is committed to creating an informal atmosphere where visitors are free to browse and ask questions without fear of judgment or condescension. Since opening our doors, this welcoming approach has seen several visitors evolve from first-time buyers into passionate art collectors, shaped by their experiences with the gallery’s unique ethos.

Thomas D. Wright with Retract the Sternum (2025). Courtesy of Molasses House.

Working with both emerging and established artists, who is an artist that you are particularly excited about working with at the moment?

The artist we’re hugely excited about is Royal College of Art, M.A. painting graduate Thomas D. Wright. Thomas’s work is bold, confrontational, thought-provoking, but also beautiful to behold. He emerged from the creative underground scene, gaining experience in many creative roles including tattoo artist, street artist, and DJ. Thomas’s work is imbued with a visual language rooted in his deep passion for the Baroque. He employs drama, theatricality, and emotional intensity, discovering beauty and romance in the grotesque.

His surgical imagery and Baroque-inspired paintings evoke powerful sensations of hope, the questioning of faith, and the idea of corporeal salvation. Authenticity is central to his practice. He often uses photographs—or fragments of them—as references for his paintings. Many of the figures in his paintings carry marks of imperfection, fragility, and emotional truth. They are not portraits of specific individuals, but rather actors expressing life as he has experienced, researched, and observed. He frequently distorts his characters’ mouths, describing the mouth as an intriguing cavity, capable of receiving nourishment and giving pleasure, but also capable of inviting harm.

Thomas’s surgical photographs inform his paintings, made easier by the dramatic chiaroscuro lighting present in operating theaters, which naturally sets the stage for his dramatic compositions. As his pursuit of authenticity persists, he continues to use the camera to collect original references, objects, figures, expressions, poses, and observations of light and shadow, which later inform his paintings. We see exciting times ahead for Thomas.

Thomas D. Wright, Mr. Kulvinder Lall (2025). Courtesy of Molasses House.

On a personal level, what do either you or collectors find most compelling about their work?

Despite Thomas’s nascent appearance in the art world, his work is attracting global interest and the intrigue of international collectors seeking a counterpoint to the conventional. The drama he conveys is open to interpretation; there is nothing overt about his work, allowing viewers to assess the image before them.

One of the most rewarding aspects of Molasses House is when a client returns to seek out more work by an artist they’ve acquired only months before. They live with the art, they understand, in their own way, the creativity of the artist and want additional work to adorn the walls of their home, office, or second home. Thomas’s work is no exception.

Thomas D. Wright, Grace and Ruin (2024). Courtesy of Molasses House.

Do you have any perennial advice for collectors, either new or seasoned?

It will come as no surprise to learn that our mantra “buy what you like” should always be the key driver when buying art, seasoned collector or not. Buyers have a long relationship with their art, transferred from room to room or house to house, often passed through the family. Often an affinity with a piece of art is driven by a memory, experience, or association, making the artwork more meaningful and personal to the buyer.

In contrast, investment-grade art is a radically different proposition and should be evaluated with care and professional advice. We have several clients who studiously consider purchases and have acquired artworks that have yielded a nice return over a relatively modest period—a Peter Beard and Jack Vettriano come to mind. Most recently, Molasses House became the authorized representative of two British artists, both exemplars in their genre, offering investment-grade art with wonderful visual appeal: the queen of Pop art Deborah Azzopardi and La Biennale di Venezia regular Lincoln Townley, whose collector and investment appeal continues to grow internationally.

Courtesy of Molasses House.

With so much flux in the gallery world recently, have you observed any trends or inclinations—either within the scope of Molasses House collectors or the market at large—that you find particularly exciting or intriguing?

Molasses House has the advantage over other galleries as it has only known today’s market. My corporate experiences have demonstrated on several occasions that when a market is in transition or under pressure, it is also the perfect time to capitalize on nascent opportunities or approach a traditional business model with a fresh outlook and expectations. So, we seek to acquire and market compelling artwork at sensible prices, beneficial for the artist and attractive for the buyer, be it a first-time buyer or collector. Our client focus is number one on our agenda, with our artists a very close second; without either group being happy, we do not have a sustainable business.

Who knows what the future may hold, but what I do know is Molasses House will confront it head on with professionalism and commitment to our clients and artists, taking a modest sustainable return along the way. Life is always great when you smile. We smile a lot at Molasses House!