Which London galleries do artists prefer?

• Some of London's most visited galleries, including the Royal Academy and Tate Modern, are favorites among artists.
• They opted for smaller, contemporary galleries, including The Gilbert & George Centre and the Estorick Collection, a townhouse in Islington.
• Insider tips from artists were also shared, including visiting an auction house to view top art without cost.

Some of the world's leading art galleries, including Tate Modern, Somerset House, and the National Gallery, are among the U.K.'s most visited attractions in London.

In London, both large and small public and commercial galleries are popular among artists, as CNBC discovered when they asked a diverse group of artists for their top picks.

Contemporary galleries — and an upscale hotel

In London, Lauren Baker, a multidisciplinary artist exhibiting at the Venice Biennale until November, favors contemporary galleries and a hotel for viewing art.

The Alice Black Gallery showcases thought-provoking fine art with deeply conceptual works, often featuring dark and strange pieces that prompt contemplation about the meaning of life. The gallery is located in London's Soho and represents artists such as Rachael Louise Bailey and abstract artist Matthew Harris.

Baker appreciates Woolff Gallery in Fitzrovia, which she describes as joyful. The gallery features a collection that emphasizes texture and tactile works, with many sculptural elements. The pieces are colorful and fun, making visitors want to touch everything. The gallery represents artists such as Apolline Bokkerink, whose work focuses on snowscapes and forests, and Joanne Tinker, who repurposes candy wrappers, discarded foils, and champagne cork cages in her work.

The ArtSpace gallery at Claridge's Mayfair hotel opened in 2021, and Baker enjoys visiting it for its lively art scene in the evening or during the day for a cup of tea. The gallery features its own café, or guests can opt for the hotel's grand Foyer and Reading Room for a traditional afternoon tea experience.

Machine Dazzle, an artist and costume designer born Matthew Flower, recommends east London contemporary galleries Amanda Wilkinson and Maureen Paley for their impeccable taste and forward-thinking exhibitions. He also recommends Fitzrovia gallery Niru Ratnam for its intelligent exhibitions.

Tate Galleries and Italian futurism

In September, Katharine Edwards, a landscape painter currently inspired by the "heat scorched" vistas of Andalusia, Spain, will exhibit at Cricket Fine Art in London's Chelsea.

The Royal Academy of Arts is one of her top London galleries, according to an email she sent to CNBC. The gallery's Summer Exhibition, featuring more than 1,700 works selected by seven Royal Academicians, is currently on display and some pieces are available for purchase.

Edwards also enjoys visiting Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London. One of his favorite rooms at Tate Modern is the Mark Rothko room, featuring Rothko's large series of paintings created for the Seagram building in New York. These paintings have an architectural structure with vibrant color combinations that are contemplative and meditative, leaving a profound impact on Edwards.

Komal Madar, a multidisciplinary artist, is a fan of Tate Modern and is excited to see its "Expressionists: Kandinsky, Munter and The Blue Rider" exhibition, which runs until October 20. In an email to CNBC, Madar recommended checking out the gallery's free exhibits too, including its vast turbine hall — the gallery is housed in a former power station. Madar also suggested feminist artist Judy Chicago's "Revelations" at Serpentine North in Hyde Park (running until September 1) and the White Cube galleries in London's Bermondsey and Mayfair areas.

Edwards selected the Estorick Collection, which exhibits futurist Italian art in an Islington town house. "Futurism was a movement that emerged in the early 1900s as a means for Italian artists (mainly) to convey the dynamism of the modern world. The collection features Modigliani sculptures, remarkable abstracts, and rotating exhibitions," Edwards stated to CNBC.

A photographer's favorites

Portrait photographer Tom Oldham, based in London, has photographed musicians such as Dave Grohl and sports stars including Usain Bolt. His project, The Hopefuls, aims to motivate young people to vote in the U.K.'s general election on July 4.

The Photographers' Gallery in Soho is a favorite for its "powerful and edgy selections," Oldham told CNBC by email. He recommended its bookshop and café. Additionally, Oldham likes The Gilbert & George Centre, a free-to-enter gallery run by artist couple Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore, for its "three vast rooms showing different works, young and old." Lastly, Oldham suggested a drink afterward at neighboring pub the Pride of Spitalfields.

London's auction houses are a "can't-miss" destination for art enthusiasts.